Alice in Distortion
by APoeticTragedy3721
Summary: Alice was orphaned at a young age after a tragic car accident claimed the lives of her parents. Fortunately enough, her elderly neighbors took her in and helped raise her to become a beautiful, well-mannered, cheerful young woman. However, at the age of 16, they start to notice changes in Alice. What happens when she meets the epiphany of insanity? Things are getting curiouser...
1. Entire Cheshire

((This is my first fanfic and I do not own Alice in Wonderland or any of the characters. I've used some of the iconic characters, but in a way made them my own. This is more of a dark, morbid story than a girl falling down a rabbit hole. I hope you all enjoy!))

Chapter One: Enter Cheshire

"Alice, dear," Mrs. Bran cooed, leaning forward and stroking the teenager's platinum blond hair. "Have you been feeling alright, lately? You seem awfully distracted…" The elderly woman had previously drug her kitchen chair to face Alice's and was now staring intently into cold, unfamiliar eyes dripping of sapphire and teal.

Alice could hear her guardian's voice, but it seemed muffled—far away—as if a space of nothingness crept in-between the two. She blinked twice, trying desperately to clear the fog that invaded her mind. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied.

Mrs. Bran knitted her eyebrows together as she tried to process the void in Alice's voice. For most of her life, Alice was a carefree, bubbly soul who constantly smiled and laughed; but as of late, she seemed more of a ghost than anything. "Alright, dear," she finally sighed, drawing her chair back with a stiffening screech. "I believe you. Why don't you wash up for dinner?"

Alice nodded in response and soundlessly stood up, pushing her chair back as she did so. With a slight curtsey, she exited the kitchen.

"You're drawing attention to yourself," a cold voice rang out whilst long nails tapped out against the dresser in Alice's bedroom. She sat shoulders squared to the cloaked figure, staring at her hands that were folded in her lap. In a fluent, soundless motion, it crossed the bedroom to perch itself alongside of Alice. "You mustn't let them catch onto us," it reprimanded.

Alice nodded solemnly. With a courageous side glance at the figure, she studied her companion. Its skin, slightly gray in color, offered a contrasting backdrop for its white, jagged grin. The hood of its cloak, slightly more pigmented than its skin, offered little to be seen beside its protruding smile. Although Alice didn't know the figure's nature too well—a week was hardly any time to predict the behavior of someone—she knew of one thing: its grin never seemed to falter from its face even during the different fluctuations in its mood. It was almost as if its mouth was stuck in an eternal grin.

Suddenly, the figure turned its head and presumably—Alice couldn't tell because of its cloak eclipsing the upper portion of its face from the nose up—looked down to meet her gaze. Ashamed of her staring, Alice turned away quickly.

"You will get to know me better, I assure you," the figure muttered, as if it had read her mind. Sliding a talon-like hand forward, it came into contact with her hair, almost in a gesture of friendliness. For some strange reason or another, the touch relaxed her more than how she imagined it would frighten her and she closed her eyes on impulse.

When she opened them a moment later, the weight of its hand had lifted and the figure was nowhere to be found. But Alice was used to it; it came and went as it pleased. Where it would go, Alice didn't know. How it would disappear and reappear was something Alice couldn't fathom. Yet one thing was certain, no matter how strange the figure was, she couldn't help but anticipate its next arrival.


	2. Relapse

Chapter 2: Relapse

The start of the summer had been a warm, bright day. Birds hopped from tree branch to tree branch, tweeting excitedly to each other whilst young kids kicked ball in the streets. Alice had persuaded Mr. and Mrs. Bran to go out for a change by offering them a pair of tickets for a local performance. Alice had previously planned for her and her friend to go to the theatre, but after a misfortunate series of events, her friend had ended up having to help her mother and father nurse her five food-poisoned siblings back to health.

There were no hard feelings, though. The elderly couple had left around noon, and considering Mr. Bran insisted on treating his wife to a nice dinner, they were going to be gone for quite some time. Alice didn't mind being alone. Of course she loved the company of her guardians, but she appreciated time alone as well. The mark of summer would be a perfect day to lie out in the garden and read.

So, she did just that. It was about a quarter past twelve when Alice ventured outside, a quilted afghan tucked under one arm, a newly purchased novel in the other. She paraded to the large oak tree in the center of the backyard and placed her blanket down on the grass. Kicking her shoes off, she crawled onto the afghan and sprawled out on her stomach. She laid the book out in front of her, and once she was positioned comfortably—knees bent upward and ankles crossed—she opened the cover and begun to read.

Alice couldn't tell how long she was outside—the only account of the duration spent outside was her current location in the book: only five chapters from the end. Either she was a fast reader, or she had spent hours upon hours sitting out in the warm summer day.

Taking a break from her book, Alice rolled over onto her back and faced the sky. She watched as countless white, puffy clouds rolled indolently over the backdrop of cerulean. She smiled to herself as the clouds ebbed and flowed together, occasionally forming the silhouettes of silly little animals. A tiny mouse with a long, winding tail, a rabbit with large, floppy ears, and a cat with a long, deformed face…

Alice blinked, disturbed by the distorted animal. Perhaps she had looked at it wrong. Maybe it wasn't a cat with an oddly shaped head. It could've been a poor turtle flipped over on its back, struggling to get up.

But no, the immediate silhouette she saw _was _a cat; a demented cat. It was a cat with not only a deformed face, but a deformed smile to match. A long, curling grin of sharp, serrated teeth closing together to form a jagged puzzle. _Cheshire….Cheshire. _Her mind whispered feverously. _The Cheshire Cat. _

Drawing her arm to her forehead, she draped her wrist over her eyes. "Perhaps I'm going mad," she murmured to herself, closing her eyes.

"You've _been_ mad," A voice corrected her.

Alice jolted from her resting position, her eyelids wildly fluttering open. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed a tall figure in unusual clothing. It was clothed in a deep gray cloak, its hood pulled over its head in such a way that it eclipsed all facial features except for one: its mouth. Two rows of saw-like canines—if they were to even be associated with such minute teeth—curling upward into a ghastly grin….Just like the cloud Alice made out earlier.

"Who are you?" Alice questioned, whirling around to come face-to-face with the figure. She stared on with uneasy eyes as its grin never faltered.

"Shouldn't you know of me already? You're the one who beckoned me here."

"Why I—I've done no such thing." Alice certainly didn't remember calling anyone—especially nothing like the figure before her.

"Oh, but you have." It persisted.

"Why would I have called you?" She questioned.

"Perhaps you were upset. Or lonely." Although the figure remained perfectly still, Alice imagined its smile floating freely without a face from side to side in a mocking manner. Almost like the pendulum of a grandfather clock, taunting whoever's eyes happened to wonder to its swinging.

"I'm not upset or lonely, thank you very much," Alice retorted icily. It was true. She wasn't lonely or upset. In fact, she was quite the opposite. She had wonderful friends and family who she was very appreciate of and that was the best thing that she could've possibly asked for.

"They all pity you," the figure muttered bluntly.

"What?" Alice demanded defensively. Pitied her? Who was this—_thing—_to come in and say her relationships were based on pity? Surely he didn't know anything about her or her life.

"Your parents were killed when you were six, and your elderly neighbors were kind enough to take you in—not like they had a chance."

"What do you mean?" Alice felt herself getting frustrated by the being, but couldn't restrain herself from asking more questions. It was almost as if she _wanted_ to hear the strange, absurd explanations it had to offer. After all, it somehow had guessed that her parents died. But then again, that really wasn't a secret.

"Haven't you ever wondered why they haven't had a child yet appeared so willing to take you in? Publicity." The figure shifted its weight to its other foot; the tattered edges of the cloak were stirred from its movement and begun to sway delicately behind it, almost like a mischievous cat's tail. "They were just a quiet, old couple in the middle of a growing town. They had to do something to get their names out into the world; and what better action than to take an orphaned child in?"

As aggravating as the figure's story was, Alice couldn't help but slowly begin to second-guess the couple that had so kindly taken her under their care. No, she couldn't be so disrespectful as to become wary of all their support and love. But the being before her had an uncanny persuasive air around it…

"And your friends," it continued to go on, its smile never faltering even a centimeter, "their parents preached to them about good manners and being kind to those less fortunate. And you, are the less fortunate of us all."

The words circled around in Alice's mind drunkenly, fogging up all of her thoughts and overriding them with the figure's explanations. She felt lost, like no matter how hard she tried, she'd never be able to tell which way was right-side-up or upside-down.

"I'll be your friend, Alice," it crooned, its tone sweet like honey to the ears, but with a poisonous undertone to it. "I'll be all you need," it promised.

That had been roughly a week ago, and still Alice never recovered. She normally wasn't one to take words to heart, but for some reason, the figure's words were pounded into her like a jackhammer. But not complete dismay arose from the encounter. Alice found that whenever she felt the slightest shard of loneliness or worry, the figure would find a way to make an appearance; and it seemed that with every moment she spent with the being, she'd feel more and more relaxed around it.

"Cheshire," she spoke out bravely one day when she entered her room, knowing she'd find the figure sprawled out atop her bed, waiting for her like a loyal feline. "I accept your proposition you made last week. About being my friend."

The being chuckled, its grin widening—if that was even possible—and sat erect, leaning its elbows on its lap. "That wasn't a suggestion," it cooed, gingerly lifting a piece of Alice's hair in its claw-like hands. "It was a promise, my dear Alice."


	3. Painting the Roses Red

((Hi guys, (Actually, I'm not sure if anyone's even reading this..^^;) But em, yes, this is chapter 3. If someone is reading this, I'd love to hear criticism from you! This is kinda just a way of getting my feet wet in the fanfic world and I hope some of you actually like it! Thank you! ^.^))

Chapter 3: Painting the Roses Red

She didn't know what had taken over her. It was almost as if someone had taken over her body whilst she helplessly watched from the sidelines. It was almost an out-of-body experience, but she felt everything; the metallic feeling of the rusty blade's handle, the warm, sticky substance that clung to her forearms and dirtied her dress. She could still hear frantic pleading of the elderly woman as she draped herself over her husband's limp body, and the muffled gargling of the man as he tried desperately to clear the crimson liquid from his lips.

Alice was horrified, but her feet moved out from under her, almost as if they were programmed to act out against her. She continued her approach, ignoring the woman's sobs and begging for mercy. Her brain screamed at her to stop, to drop the weapon and collapse into her guardian's arms and hope for the elderly man's miraculous recovery; but her body refused to yield to her brain. Instead, she strode over to the woman, a thoughtless smile curling her lips into a satisfied grin.

"Alice, dear!" the Mrs. Bran screeched, drawing herself back from her husband's body. "Why are you doing this? Put the knife down!"

But Alice moved forward anyway, her arm lashing outward. The blade became but an extension of her arm, which burrowed itself inside the woman's chest. A waterfall of crimson cascaded from her bosom and splattered pigments of red upon her white cooking apron. With a strangled gasp, the woman collapsed forward, her lifeless body falling upon her husband's.

And so, Alice stood before two bloody corpses, covered in the blood of the pair who once took her in and raised her like her own. She had no motive to kill them; her body simply acted on its own. An act which terrified at her at first didn't seem so bad once it was over and done with. The sticky, sweet liquid actually comforted her. She found it beautiful, almost. Alice was transformed.

Alice jolted from her sleep and sat erect in her bed. Her heart thrashed wildly against her ribcage as her nightmare replayed over and over in her head. The blood, the screaming….

"Cheshire," she whispered desperately into the darkness. Perhaps it was strange of her to call for a mysterious being she had only just met days prior, but she felt an unexplainable connection to the Cheshire; as if a void she didn't know existed was being filled.

Then, she felt it; an unusually comforting presence crept into her room and shoved away all her uneasiness. The presence solidified and perched itself on Alice's bed. Even in the darkness, she could make out the figure's silvery smile. The sight may have frightened anyone else, but Alice was slowly beginning to admit that she was, indeed, mad. The spectacle offered her a peacefulness that she could only experience when the being was near.

"It was simply a dream, Alice," the Cheshire finally said after a few moments of silence. Perhaps it was Alice's wishful thinking, but its once cold, detached tone was beginning to become more personal and affectionate.

"What a horrible dream," she breathed, raking her fingers through her sweat-infested tresses.

"It was a dream but nothing more," it assured her.

"I guess you're right," she sighed. Her heart had finally slowed its pace and her long, shaky breaths had ceased. She laid back down but was hesitant to shut her eyes; not because she was fearful of having a reoccurring nightmare, but because she was reluctant to have the Cheshire disappear on her. Of course it was inevitable that it'd be back, she just couldn't help but feel a pang of emptiness when it would leave.

A noticeable difference in the weight of the blankets by her legs caused Alice's heart to sink. Even though the Cheshire had a knack for appearing when she seemed to need him most, it also had a knack for disappearing on a whim.

Then, a blurred silhouette passed along the side of her bed, and the blankets by her side shifted as the cloaked being perched itself alongside of her. A long, slender hand crept along the sheets until it found her upturned palm and rested delicately atop of it. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep," the Cheshire announced.

Although Alice knew she would eventually wake up to an empty room, she decided to bask in the moment. "Goodnight, Cheshire," she murmured as she closed her eyes. Even though her eyes were shut, she had no intention of falling asleep any time soon.


	4. Through the Flames

Chapter 4: Through the Flames

"Alice dear, Alice dear; wake up," Alice groaned softly, rolling onto her side. Mrs. Bran perched herself on the side of Alice's bed and begun to stroke her hair. "Dear, are you feeling alright?" Her stout fingers slid their way from Alice's tresses to rest upon her head, gauging the temperature of her forehead. "You didn't come down for dinner last night, and you slept right through breakfast, did you catch a cold?"

Alice's eyes slowly fluttered open. Had she really slept that long? As unlikely as it seemed, judging by the shafts of sunlight that filtered in through the window, Mrs. Bran was right. It did seem like the day was inching into the early afternoon, already. It was uncharacteristic for Alice to sleep in later than eight o'clock when she had the choice to sleep in, let alone stay in bed until nearly noon.

Then, she remembered. She excused herself from the kitchen to wash up for dinner, when instead, she was distracted by the Cheshire's appearance. He only appeared for a few moments, but it was enough to captivate her. She must've fallen asleep while waiting for his next appearance, but in the meantime, had a horrible nightmare.

The vivid dream rushed back to her: the blood, the screaming, the heat of the knife in her hand all swirled around in her head like lazy goldfish in a fish bowl. But with her nightmare came perhaps one of the greatest comforts; the Cheshire. As gruesome as a character as he appeared, something about him—she now considered him a 'him' instead of an 'it'—was reassuring. Instead of coming off as a boogieman, he became—in Alice's mind—one of her dearest friends.

"I guess I was just tired," Alice yawned. She was half telling the truth; she was quite tired, but the only reason why she was was because she did her best to stay awake for most of the night to keep the Cheshire around. As immature as it seemed, she was unwilling to allow him to leave as abruptly as he often did.

"Well as long as you're feeling alright," Mrs. Bran replied, affectionately stroking Alice's hair once more before standing erect. "I was just about to head to the market; did you need anything?"

"Um, actually," Alice began, propping herself up on her elbows,"Would you care if I did the grocery shopping?" What Alice needed was to get some fresh air. After being cooped up in her room for most of the night into the early evening, any excuse to go outside was much welcomed.

"Oh, of course not dear," Mrs. Bran smiled. "It would actually be a help. Rodney's been pestering me to make some of my homemade oatmeal cookies—you know how much he loves his sweets—and it would be so convenient if you went to the store instead. I'll have a nice batch of cookies made up when you return."

"Thank you," Alice replied.

With that, Mrs. Bran stepped out of Alice's room, a gentle grin invading her lips. She must've glad to see that her Alice was beginning to act more like herself.

Indolently rolling out of her bed, Alice lazily stood up. With a yawn, she stretched, and her body protested after being curled up for the majority of the night. With careful, gentle steps, she strode toward her closet to choose her outfit for the day.

As she sorted through her clothes, she laid eyes on a discarded dress in the very back of her closet. She remembered receiving it as a present on holiday from Mrs. Bran's sister; an elderly woman with spectacles the size of coke bottles. To be honest, Alice wasn't sure if she could even see the color properly, for it was a God-awful gray—the same color as smoke that rose from a burning fire, almost. Alice never actually dared wear the dress—she'd much rather less dramatic colors like pastel blues and whites—but for once, she considered it. Perhaps gray was beginning to grow on her.

Flustered with her own thoughts, she grabbed the dress off of its hanger and promptly changed. She threw on a pair of knee-high socks and quickly brushed through her blond tresses. Once she was put together, she crept into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up before striding down the hallway and into the kitchen of the cozy, ranch-styled house.

Once inside the kitchen, she found Mrs. Bran hunched over the counter, mixing together raw ingredients for the cookies she was about to make. Across the room from her sat Mr. Bran, an elderly man with a receding hairline—or as he liked to call it: a six inch part—with round glasses and a wise, yet gentle face adorned with wrinkles. He was sitting at the kitchen table, one leg crossed over the other, and reading the morning newspaper.

Alice couldn't help but cringe at the picture-perfect elderly couple displayed in front of her. Only moments earlier—well, hours—did she dream up such a horrific dream that caused her to wake in the night with a cold sweat. She loved the elderly couple, and couldn't fathom why she would dream of such horrid things; not like her heart had a say in what she dreamt, anyway.

"Oh, Alice dear," Mrs. Bran announced, not bothering to turn around from her duty. Although her back was turned, Alice could picture her plump-cheeked smile that she often flaunted. "I left you a list on the table and some money."

"Of course," Alice replied, making her way to the table adjacent to the back door. She picked up the money and list and stuffed them into the pockets of her dress—which seemed to be the only upside of the dress's structure. On her way out, she slipped on her worn pair of Mary-Janes and announced that she'd only take a while in order to get everything. With a smile and a wave, she was off.

It took about an hour and a half for Alice to finally achieve everything on her list: a sack of flour, a loaf of bread, a carton of milk, a dozen apples, two onions, four cucumbers, olive oil, and half a pound of cheese. To be honest, the list wasn't very long, but the lines at the market were. Alice was quite shocked by the unpredictable crowd of shoppers who swarmed to the market. She just hoped Mr. and Mrs. Bran didn't mind her prolonged absence.

But when she rounded the block, her trouble in the market seemed to be shattered, only to be placed with a greater horror. Before her stood a pile of smoldering ashes as a team of firefighters worked desperately to extinguish the blaze. Neighbors and concerned pedestrians crowded around the streets as police officers tried to usher them behind iron barricades. Frantic shouts of the firefighters as well as distress from the neighbors rang into the hot summer evening.

"Get them out!" A woman screamed.

"Ma'am, you need to step back," an officer retorted.

"Oh that poor couple!"

"Poor Alice!"

All the screaming swam around in Alice's ears in groggy waves. The smoke from the blaze was beginning to ink the sky and make it hard to breathe. Alice felt the world tilt and whirl around her, while the ground seemed to slide out and collapse out from under her feet. She could still hear the commotion around her, ringing furiously in her ears like a swarm of angry hornets.

Then, suddenly, all the shouting and yelping halted, and all Alice could see was darkness. She felt herself fall.


	5. Welcome to Madness

((Hi, guys! I'm so thankful for what feedback I did happen to get on this! I have some cool plot twists (In my mind) that I can't wait to share with you! I apologize that this chapter was kinda anti-climatic, but I promise I'll dish out better chapters in the future! Once again, thanks for the reviews! I can't wait to hear more from you guys! ^.^))

Chapter 5: Welcome to Madness

When Alice woke up, she didn't recognize her surroundings. Instead of the small town she was raised in, she awoke atop a rocky mountain. The sky was a dark, smoky gray filled with inky clouds that swirled around the top of the hill like engrossed vultures circling around for prey. Around her dark, gnarled trees closed around her, sporting bare branches that twisted to the sky like skeletal fingers holding her in. And beyond the horizon, she could make out the faintest silhouette of what seemed to be an expansive castle towering above a sea of leafless trees.

Alice cringed. Where was she? It was almost as if she had woken up in the middle of a set for a horror movie. Was this just another bad dream? If it was, then was the fire engulfing her home but a dream as well? Alice was beginning to find it hard to tell fiction apart from reality.

With a shaky arm and leg forward, she hoisted herself off of the ground. Even if it was a dream, it wouldn't do any good to sit around and wait for herself to wake up. Rising to her feet, she glanced around. Sure she had a good vantage point, but how was she supposed to get down—if she was to get down at all?

She stumbled around on the rough terrain a bit before happening upon a set of deteriorating wooden steps that seemed to be forged into the mountain itself. They twisted downward, spiraling around the hillside like a serpent. Although they didn't seem like the sturdiest set of stairs, they hardly appeared to be weathered enough to cave upon Alice's weight. Besides, they were her only option down besides falling.

She took deliberate and careful steps forward along the first protrusions of the staircase until the walkway became too steep to casually stroll, in which she felt her body being flung forward over the edge of it, like some unseen force was pulling her by the waist down the stairs. She often had dreams like this, where she would run down a staircase and her feet would barely touch the steps as if she was flying down them, only, this was more realistic than all of them combined. She felt the sting of the wind in her eyes, the butterflies in her stomach as she descended.

After what seemed like an eternity of frightful zigzagging along the mountain's steps, her feet came to rest at the bottom of a grassy landing. Her heart pounding in her chest, she was thankful, yet apprehensive of how she managed to not stumble and fall to her death. Perhaps she was dreaming; after all, she wouldn't normally have such luck in reality.

Glancing around at her surroundings, she noted that she was in what seemed to be a meadow of some sort. The skeletal trees encased the expanse about a mile out, leaving a large clearing of an unusual blue-green grasses. The grass was alien to Alice and almost seemed toxic, which made her cautious when stepping on it. After a few hesitant steps, she found that the sickly-looking grass had no side effects—none that showed promptly—and decided to venture out further into the clearing.

She had only trudged along for about ten minutes when the grass seemed to miraculously grow—each step of hers being greeted with patches of grass stretching toward the sky. Before she knew it, she found herself becoming entangled in grasses the height of her waist. She would stumble forward, but with each stumble came taller and taller grasses. When it seemed that she would become completely engulfed in the shrubbery, her next footfall took her to yet another clearing, rid of the stretching blue-green sea. Instead, in place of the growing meadow stood a rocky path, veering into three directions.

For whatever reason, she felt herself being drawn to the most westward path—almost of the same intensity that pulled her down the staircase—and took a step toward it. Alice didn't know what lay at the end of the road, but she knew she would eventually find out.


	6. Your Highness, My Majesty

((Hi, guys! I'm so glad to hear from you! I know this might not make sense right here, right now, but I promise the ending will make everything crystal clear! There's a few plot twists, so stay tuned! ^.^ Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! I hope ya'll like it so far!))

Chapter 6: Your Highness, My Majesty

Alice walked for what seemed like hours upon hours, yet the scenery around her barely changed at all. Occasionally, the thick sea of bare trees would thin out, but that was about it. Nothing more, nothing less. The rocky path she was following lead her in what felt like a straight line and she was beginning to think the road lead to nowhere. Until she saw the castle, that is.

It was a magnificent castle towering well above the forest around it. Adorned with an ebony marble shell, it projected skeletal outlines of the trees surrounding it in a faint reflection on its surface. Alice marveled at the architecture of the building. With its gothic style windows and large towers, she felt as if she had stepped straight into a fairytale.

Taking careful steps forward, Alice headed toward the labyrinth of shrubbery that sat adjacent to the caste. The bushes that had been cut down precisely to the shape of hearts were scattered about in planned grids, creating walls to the maze whilst roses embellished the shrubs in seas of bright crimson. A red bricked walkway lead to the interior of the maze, beckoning Alice to follow it, to walk straight into the belly of the monster. _No,_ a voice within her scolded, _Alice, don't. _

Alice felt her feet move out from under her as she retreated. As she backed up from the entrance of the labyrinth, her heels stumbled upon a metal object, sounding a _clink _as her foot landed on it. Glancing over her shoulder, she stared down at her reflection upon the blade of a dagger.

"Off with her head!" Alice heard someone yelp from afar. Then, the pounding of footfalls and shouts resonated into the air. Alice's first instinct was to run, but she didn't know where. What if she happened to run into those who were presumably pursuing her?

Heart pounding against her ribcage so violently she was afraid it was going to jump out from her chest, Alice pedaled forward into the maze. _No, Alice, _the voice hissed. But where was she to go? If she ran out into the open, she wouldn't have a chance at hiding. At least inside the labyrinth she might be able to evade the possible attack.

"Find her and kill her!"

Alice stumbled along the webbing of shrubbery, trying desperately to guide herself away from the pounding of the footsteps that pursued her. She could hear the clacking of metal upon metal and shouting surround all walls of the maze as she ran deeper within the networking of bushes. _Turn around, _the voice hissed feverishly, _turn around now. _

Alice's feet flew under her, barely pounding at the ground as she raced toward the interior of the maze. The pursuers were presumably hot on her trail for the footfalls and clacking were beginning to sound closer and closer. Her lungs burned furiously as they tried to regulate her airflow and her side was cramping up. "_Oh please let me get away!" _she thought desperately to herself.

Eventually Alice found herself in the middle of the labyrinth, a heart-shaped clearing free from the surrounding shrubbery. In the center sat a lone stone-faced bench, immaculately kempt despite it being outside. And atop the bench sat a young woman in a flowing crimson ball gown….

Cold, amber eyes drifted from the ground to meet Alice's, holding her gaze in theirs. Alice drew back instinctively as the auburn haired woman stood from her perch, bright red lips pursed together in a thin line. "Oh dear," the woman said finally, "seems like you found your way into the wrong kingdom."

Before Alice could process the woman's words, the footfalls and shouting halted, revealing a sea of faceless men flaunting scarlet armor and daggers. They crowed behind the woman, presumably awaiting her command to attack. Alice felt her heart drop as she stared at the army before her. She didn't stand a chance.

"Normally I'm not so kind," the woman announced, "But considering you are quite young and I am rather bored, I'll give you a five minute head start." She smiled a grin anything but kind and clapped her hands delicately. "Your time starts now."

Alice backpedaled her way back from the direction in which she came, frantically tripping over herself as she did so. Her side still ached and she was beginning to taste iron in the back of her throat. If she didn't find somewhere to hide—and quick—she was going to be a goner.

Then, she saw it—rather, him—standing at the intersection of the labyrinth. He stood motionless at the end of the pathway, his smile spanning across his ashy face. Hope fluttered into Alice's heart as her feet strode toward the familiar cloaked figure, but as soon as she felt hopeful, she felt the feeling fade as the sound of footfalls pierced the air.

She stumbled toward the Cheshire, pushing her tired legs to carry her just a bit further. She didn't have a plan for once she did reach him, but something inside her urged her to run to him.

So she did just that. She ran toward him until her lungs were burning and her side-stitch slowed her pace. She could hear the army of faceless men grow closer and closer, almost as if they were nipping at her heels. With a final sprint, she ran into the Cheshire's arms.


	7. Under a Madman's Mask

((Hi, guys! I'm sorry if this chapter is kinda abrupt, but I'm going to see if I can update later tonight. I also want to thank everyone for taking their time and reading this! Reviews are welcome, so don't be shy! So without further ado, Chapter 7! I hope you all like it!))

Chapter 7: Under a Madman's Mask

In the lapse of her running, Alice didn't even take into consideration the success rate of her plan. She knew that the Cheshire had a bad habit of disappearing upon impulse, and yet if he did happen to stick around, she wouldn't know how he'd react to her actions. The only thing she could do was hope that whatever the case was, it'd work out in the end.

As her feet pushed her forward in a final stride, her waist was greeted by a strong arm pulling her forward into the Cheshire's chest. It wrapped around her, dragging her into the depths of its cloak. It wasn't until Alice recovered from the initial shock of the fluent movement that she realized the Cheshire was hiding her from her pursuers.

Her eyes took a few moments to adjust to her cramped surroundings. She was pressed against the Cheshire's torso, which was surprisingly clothed—she flushed even to think that he wouldn't be clothed underneath his robe—and was human-like with toned muscles imaginable on a lean athlete. She felt his chest rise and fall slightly as he inhaled in exhaled, whilst his heart rate refused to quicken. Obviously his care was minimal—or he was completely oblivious—to the danger that surrounded them.

Alice's breathing hitched as she heard the footfalls and clanking of weapons and shields halt. Although she was staring into the Cheshire's gray shirt, she could feel the sea of soldiers staring at the duo with featureless faces. Her head lifted slightly, hoping to take a glance at the Cheshire's face—not that it was to avail though; his height easily towered above her meager two inches past five feet—but she assumed his face held no emotion, just his characteristic wide grin spanning across his face.

The clicking of what was presumably heels rang into the air and knifed at the silence. "Ah, Ches," a female voice crooned. "What brings you to my kingdom?"

Judging by the arrogance in the woman's voice and the references she made to "her kingdom", Alice assumed that the woman that she had seen earlier was a queen of some sorts. And if that was the case, where did Alice end up exactly?

"Your Majesty," the Cheshire greeted her, bowing forward. Had he not extended his arm in front of him, Alice would've toppled over backwards. As he stood erect, he nonchalantly led her back to stand upright. "I was simply passing by," he replied.

A giggle rose from the queen's chest and bubbled from her lips in a way that Alice could only describe as a snotty cheerleader's mockery laughter. She could hear the clicking of heels as the queen advanced closer toward her and the Cheshire. "Oh my, is that what had happened?" she questioned, presumably halting just a few feet before the duo. "Leaving your kingdom is very unprofessional of you, Ches."

Alice blinked, and looked up at the Cheshire; although it was useless. His chest held no explanation nor could she see his face—not like that would give it away, either. Was he a king of some sorts?

"Well, then let me return," he responded, turning on his heels. As he did so, Alice tried desperately to mimic his steps so she wouldn't appear suspicious.

"Oh, Ches, before you leave," the queen began, taking a few steps forward, her heels clicking intently behind her. "If you find a little blond child wandering around," she murmured over his shoulder, "let me know, will you? It's been days since I've seen the color red."

The Cheshire must've noticed Alice's muscles tense, for he raised a hand and nonchalantly stroked her back before returning it to his side. "Oh, I'm sorry Your Majesty, but that girl is mine," he retorted, his smile never faltering even a centimeter.

Alice couldn't tell if he meant it in a threatening or protective way, but she couldn't help but feel comforted by the Cheshire's possession. After all, he did promise her friendship and last time she checked, friendship didn't consist of people killing each other. Yet, considering the world Alice was thrown in, anything seemed possible.


	8. The Heart, Ace, Spade, and the Wanderer

((Well, I decided to update this twice today considering that we might not have power for at least two days depending on how hard the hurricane hits us O.o I'm so grateful for the positive feed back! Here's where the plot really kicks in, so I hope ya'll are interested for more! And just a reminder, this is more of a spoof than a fanfic revolving solely around Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, so if the characters aren't well, characteristic, like I said, this is more of a me using the iconic characters, but making them my own. I hope ya'll like it! Any feedback is welcome be it criticism, praise, or any complaints! So here you go, Chapter 8! Enjoy! ^.^))

Chapter 8: The Heart, Club, Spade and the Wanderer

"Come join me for tea, Ches," the Queen said in a tone that was more of a command than an invitation.

"Isn't that the Hatter's job to host tea parties?" the Cheshire retorted, his tone dripping heavily with undertones of discontent. If he truly disliked the Queen, he made no attempts to conceal it.

"Actually, this comes as the Hatter's request." Alice could hear the resonance of her heels clicking against the brick as she presumably begun to retire back to her castle. "I hope you will join us, Ches. Perhaps we could inform your child of the rules of our land." With that, her footfalls grew faint, followed by the clamor of metal of the blank-faced army.

Alice hesitantly crept out from under the Cheshire's cloak and turned to face the direction where it seemed the queen and the men retreated to. A hand instinctually rose from her side and absentmindedly clutched the material of the Cheshire's robe. Had the queen noticed that she was hiding under his cloak? Obviously she must've been aware if she practically gave an invitation to Alice to join them as well.

"Shall we go then, Alice?" the Cheshire asked, a long, ashy hand reaching out and wrapping itself around her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Glancing up at him, Alice automatically felt comforted. Although his spanning grin was permanent, she couldn't help but feel reassured by it. It was almost as she was beginning to know him well enough to tell what a true smile was as opposed to his constant display.

"They won't kill me, will they?" Alice questioned, still teetering on the edge of comfort and apprehension. Just earlier the Queen had sent an army after her, and now she was inviting her to a tea party offering to explain the "laws of the land"? Was being so bipolar typical of the Queen, or of the land in general? And most importantly, where exactly was Alice?

"I won't let them lay a finger on you, my dear," he assured her.

The duo had eventually wandered inside of the castle, and upon a series of turns lead by a faceless butler, happened upon a large dining room with a table that seemed to stretch on for miles. There must've been more than one hundred chairs encircling the table, all stained in a brilliant, glossy mahogany, the same stain of the table. Satin curtains were drawn over the ceiling to floor windows, adorning most of the walls with seas of scarlet that blocked out what little sunshine that tried so desperately to shine through the smoggy clouds. Golden candelabrums were scattered about the room, casting flickering shadows along the walls. Over all, the room was brilliant, with high ceilings and accents of scarlet, but Alice couldn't help but feel intimidated; especially coming face to face with the two individuals sitting at the table.

Alice had momentarily met the Queen a few moments before in the garden, but hadn't actually had the time to safely study the woman before her. As she sat at the head of the table, she appeared strong and confident, obviously that of an experienced ruler. She had high cheekbones that lead up to amber deep-set eyes framed by long, heavy black lashes. Below a thin nose sat a pair of slender, red lips formed into a skinny line. A sea of auburn hair was folded neatly behind her in an updo of waves and loose curls.

To the queen's left sat a man of a pallid complexion, with hair an unnatural fuchsia color along with an olive green top hat. The only thing that seemed ordinary was his sapphire eyes. He sat smugly at her side, pouring tea from one cup to another, occasionally flaunting a wide-gapped, toothy grin. Alice assumed he was the Hatter.

As Alice and the Cheshire advanced toward the table, the Hatter stopped pouring tea between cups and the queen looked up, eyes greeting the two. Her lips stayed in a thin line momentarily before parting. "I'm glad you could make it, Ches," she nodded toward the Cheshire and then toward Alice. "I see you decided to be a proper young lady and come out from under Ches's robe."

Alice flushed slightly and brought her gaze to the white marble flooring. The Cheshire only placed a hand upon her shoulder, ushering her to the second chair on the right of the queen. She obediently sat down whilst he took his seat in-between them.

"So we have a new wanderer in Wonderland," the queen announced. The Hatter continued pouring tea between his cups as if it were old news whilst the Cheshire smiled down at the table out of boredom. "And considering the fact that Ches has appeared to have taken a fondness toward the child, I've decided to not kill her right away."

Alice tensed at the thought of the queen opting to kill her upon an impulse. Noticing Alice's tensed stance, the Cheshire cleared his throat to clear the air and urge the queen on.

"So in accordance to the rules of the land, the wanderer must choose which kingdom to be a part of." Her gaze drifted toward Alice momentarily before falling back upon the three as a whole. "That being said, however, we have to let her know that our land is in a desperate power struggle and although we—the three rulers of the Heart, Spade, and Club kingdoms-are sitting here today, we don't normally act as civilized as we are at this moment." She paused, picked up her tea, and after taking a prolonged sip, set the teacup back down in front of her. "So if you choose one kingdom, you're tied to that kingdom until death do you part."

"And because of those ties with that kingdom, you're susceptible to our feuding," the Hatter added, setting both of his teacups down.

"The wanderer is the most valuable weapon due to their rarity," the queen explained.

"And everyone loves the wanderer," the Cheshire muttered, as if he had heard the speech thousands of times before and was simply saving the queen's breath.

"If the wanderer happens to stay in one kingdom, the more citizens that kingdom will attract."

"And the more citizens that kingdom attracts, the bigger the army," the Hatter interrupted.

"And thusly, the bigger the army, the better chance that kingdom has at taking entire control of Wonderland," the three finished up in harmony. They had obviously rehearsed this speech multiple times in order for everyone to be in sync the way they were.

"So I'm technically helping a kingdom become superior?" Alice questioned quietly.

"Yes," the Queen replied, nodding in Alice's direction. "But with that brings grave consequences. Whatever kingdom you choose will be the most endangered. You have to be prepared to experience unfathomable bloodshed; be it the collapse of an army, the slaughter of innocent civilians, or even the assassination of the ruler."

Alice's head was spinning by the time the trio had explained everything to her. At first, she was going to choose the Cheshire's kingdom for it made more sense for her to be with her trusted friend. But after hearing that it might endanger him and his citizens, it made her second-guess her decision. Was she really going to potentially put the Cheshire's life at risk just so she could be happy? But if she chose someone else's kingdom, would that mean her and the Cheshire would be forced to become enemies?

Alice was snapped out of her confusion by the sound of the Queen's voice penetrating the air. "So, my dear child, which kingdom will you choose?"


	9. Till Death Do Us Part

((Hi, everyone! (Boy does anyone even read these?) I just thought I'd make a quick update in case the power does decide to die out on us for a few days. Along with announcing that, I know a bit of you are confused about the identities of the characters-the Cheshire mostly-so I decided to clear this up. Everyone I have introduced so far-and probably every character I will-is human, even the Cheshire. (Yes, I know that sounds odd but my mind works like this. :0) The Cheshire is pretty much just an odd-looking humanoid creature with the Cheshire grin. Perhaps if the power does go out, I'll try to draw a few sketches to help ya'll visualize.  
Welp, that seems to be it. So without further ado, Chapter 9! Hope ya'll enjoy!))

Chapter 9: Till Death Do Us Part

A tornado was set loose in Alice's head, pulling thoughts and ideas from here and there and stringing them together in a jumbled mess that not even the most intelligent person could comprehend. She was beginning to feel sick and wanted nothing more than to wake up from this horrible nightmare and find herself in her bed in the small, three person ranch-styled house, along with Mrs. Bran baking cookies as Mr. Bran read the local newspaper at the kitchen table. She wanted to be able to return to her life before her journey down the westward path, before her stumbling down the mountainside staircase, before the fire engulfed her house and her only family; and before the Cheshire entered her life.

But no, she couldn't entirely say she wished that she never met him. Although she could assume that he had somehow led her into this mess, he had also proved assistance when she needed it most. If she was upset, lonely, or even endangered, he was right by her side helping her weather the storm.

And so, her decision was made. Although her being a "wanderer" meant possibly endangering the Cheshire if she picked his kingdom, she knew she had no other choice. The Cheshire had proved to be a reliable and trustworthy friend, and she would display the same. She knew that as scary as a competition for power seemed, she was going to stand by the Cheshire and do her best to protect him. After all, he was all she had now.

Before Alice could part her lips to answer the Queen, the Cheshire seemed to pick up on her decision. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw him turn his head toward her ever-so-slightly and nod nonchalantly; assuring her that she had made the correct decision. Almost instantly, a wave of comfort flooded over her in a way that could only be brought along by the Cheshire himself.

"Have you come to a decision?" the Queen asked.

Alice nodded bravely and swallowed back whatever hesitancy she held. Yet before she could answer verbally, the Queen spoke up once more. "So which kingdom did you choose?"

Alice's thoughts stumbled over themselves for a minute. The Queen must've known her choice to begin with, but was throwing a curve ball by asking for the name of the kingdom, not who the ruler was. Thinking back to the trio's speech, Alice recalled the three kingdom names: the Heart, Club, and Spade. But which one did the Cheshire belong to?

He obviously wasn't of the Heart kingdom. Alice had eventually put all the puzzle pieces together to come to the conclusion that the woman before her was the Queen of Hearts—quite literally. Now all that she had to choose from was the Club and Spade. She had a fifty-fifty chance upon guessing, but who was to say she'd end up picking the right one?

Her eyes glanced over to the Hatter, who had lost interest for the time being and went back from pouring tea from cup to cup, occasionally halting his movement to take a few sips of the tea. _Air, _a voice within her whispered feverishly. _The Hatter is air. _

But what did that mean; the Hatter is air? Was he simply not a human, but a mirage of some sort? No, that couldn't be it. No matter how mad Wonderland seemed, Alice knew everyone was real, she could feel it in her veins. But what did air have to do in accordance to the kingdoms? Air wasn't a kingdom, after all.

_Air; think back, Alice. Remember,_ the voice hissed. She closed her eyes, trying to drown it out. Think back? Back to what? _Back to your world, Alice, _the voice answered.

Then, Alice recalled the night she had spent at the kitchen table with Mr. Bran. She was ten at the time, but the memory was still vivid as if it happened but a few days ago. Mrs. Bran was behind the stove cooking up gingerbread men; it was around Christmas at the time. A few of Mr. Bran's friends from the fire station were crowding around the circular, oak kitchen table laughing and having a good time. They'd often come around every other Friday night to play poker together.

Alice was in a blue nightgown, shyly poking her head out from the hallway. Mr. Bran noticed her and called her over with his cheery chuckle. "Come, Alice. I'll teach you a little about cards," he said, beckoning her over to his knee. He lifted her and set her upon his lap where she could more clearly see the cards.

"Rodney, don't teach her to gamble," Mrs. Bran reprimanded light-heartedly from her perch behind the stove.

"Ah, I'm doing no such thing," the husband replied with a wink.

Soon, his arthritis-ridden hands became nimble once again, and shuffled through the deck of playing cards. He gathered four cards from the deck and displayed them face-up for Alice to see. "This is the heart suit," he announced, tapping a finger on the Queen of Hearts. Its element is water, and it represents love and spirituality." Sliding his finger along to the next card, he tapped it as well. "This is the club suit. Its element is fire," he said dramatically, widening his eyes in a way that made Alice giggle. "It represents inner wisdom."

"What's this one?" Alice had asked, pointing to the spade with tiny fingers and a curiosity that could mimic that of a tiny kitten.

"Ah, the King of Spades," he announced. "Its element is," he paused and blew into Alice's blond tresses, making them dance against her cheek.

Air! Alice's eyes snapped open to reveal the trio staring intently at her—minus the Cheshire of course, who already knew of Alice's decision and instead calmly stared down the teacup in front of him. Alice was almost curious to see how the Cheshire would down the tea with his eternal grin, but she decided that adventure would have to be saved for another time.

"I choose the Club kingdom," Alice announced, confident in her decision.

The Queen raised her eyebrows ever-so-slightly before nodding her head in what appeared to be her acceptance of defeat. "So you're very serious about this child, aren't you, Ches?" the Queen questioned, turning to face him.

The Cheshire drew his attention away from the teacup and directed it toward the Queen. Although his eyes were still eclipsed by the shadow of his cloak, Alice could envision them sparkling mischievously like a cat's gaze locked on an insect. "Why yes, Your Majesty," he responded, rising to his feet. His movement beckoned Alice to obediently stand up beside him, in which he drew her into his chest. "I'll be serious about her until death do us part."


	10. The Cat and the Mouse

((Okay, I'm honestly trying my best to update this as many times as I can before the power goes out because we're supposed to have lost power for a week or more. D; This is kinda just a filler chapter that will hopefully tie you over with some sappy, lame fluff stuff. I hope ya'll don't mind my frantic updates. If you want, you can leave me a review saying if you're fine with the constant updating or if you want me to wait and think up a brilliant chapter for you guys. For all of you in path of the hurricane, I hope ya'll stay safe! And for you who aren't going to get affected, say some prayers and happy reading!))

Chapter 10: The Cat and the Mouse

_The floor consisted of contrasting white and black marble organized in such a way that the strips of colors grew thinner and thinner upon reaching the middle of the room. Following the patch of white or black would lead you upon a spiraling course as you walked along the path and eventually landed in the center. An illusion to the eye, the colors circled each other like lazy vultures absorbed in an aerial dance. _

_ Alice stood on the outermost corner of the room, looking upon the spirals of black and white. After much debate of which color to follow, she chose the black and begun to walk it. Circling around the room, the strips of dark marble grew thin, causing Alice to have to walk toe to heel as if stepping outside the color would cause her to fall into a bottomless pit. As she made her way to the center of the room, her eyes landed upon a red balloon, ebbing and bobbing just centimeters from the ground. _

_ She cautiously advanced toward the balloon. Something within her longed to reach out and touch the balloon, so she did just that. With a careful hand forward, she reached toward it…_

_ POP!_

Alice jolted from her sleep, eyelids fluttering open. She sat erect, instinctually pulling the blankets away from her torso as she did so. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness in her room, and she had assumingly woken up within the early hours of the morning due to the lack of sunlight filtering in. Only, taking a look around, it wasn't _her _room.

The room she was quartered in was large, probably twice the size of her bedroom at home. The room itself was painted a pearly silver color adorned with white crown molding merging the walls to the high ceilings. Crisp white furniture was scattered about the room; a large dresser sat opposite of the bed, two nightstands laid adjacent to the bed, a lone wardrobe stood on one of the side walls, and a white arm chair sat before the window-adorned wall. The windows were draped in silver curtains whose bottoms fluttered daintily upon the draft of a gentle breeze. Looking down at her lap, Alice noted that the bed was that of a king size; made up of blankets and sheets of the color scheme of the rest of the room, as well.

Then, Alice noticed a movement to her right out of her peripheral vision along her side. Hesitantly turning toward the movement, she noticed a misplaced lump of fabric she hadn't noticed before. It was darker than the rest of the room, a shade of smoggy gray with tattered edges. Perhaps it was blanket someone had placed there?

Curiosity got the best of Alice as she shifted onto her knees and quietly padded over to the mound of fabric. She halted a few inches away from the lump and looked over it.

To her surprise, it wasn't simply a blanket clumped together. Instead, it appeared to be an article of clothing; only, the clothing was presumably occupied due to the way it moved—rather, rose and fell—almost like someone inhaling and exhaling. Upon closer inspection, the heap of fabric suddenly became familiar to her and she flushed. Had she really spent the whole night in the Cheshire's bed?

She glanced down at him, struggling to suppress a smile. The way he was curled up was reminiscent of the way a kitten would slumber. His cramped sleeping position made him appear shorter than Alice would be had she slept normally, and made him seem all the more innocent. Alice was tempted to reach out and stroke him like she would a kitten, but decided to fight the urge. After all, no matter how close she thought she grew to the Cheshire, she was unsure of how he would act. He wasn't like a domestic cat, he was more of a tiger; innocent and majestic looking enough, but deadly nonetheless.

He stirred, and frightened that she had woken him, Alice retreated back to where she had woken and promptly laid on her side, facing away from him. If she was lucky, he'd see her presumably sleeping, and just assume he woke up on his own. But instead of hearing him sit up, the bed springs squeaked ever-so-slightly as he repositioned himself.

A few moments of stillness passed, and Alice had assumed the Cheshire simply went back to sleep. To her surprise, however, a hand stretched out and swiftly wrapped itself around her waist. She let out a startled squeak as the arm encompassed her ribcage and lazily drew her toward the center of the bed. Hesitantly glancing over her shoulder, her face came inches apart from the sleeping Cheshire's. A light flush crept across her cheeks as she inwardly scolded herself for thinking that the Cheshire would actually act out like that upon consciousness.

"Um, Ches," Alice murmured quietly and carefully, "Can you let go?"

The Cheshire responded by simply drawing Alice in closer, followed by a stifled purr of some sorts. He must've truly lost in the realm of sleep.

Alice laid patiently in his arms, scolding her reddening skin for betraying her. His arm was draped around her waist, holding her to him like a giant teddy bear. On her back, she could feel the gentle raising and falling of his chest and the soft air of his exhale as it swept her hair onto her neck and cheek. For the first time since her arrival in Wonderland, she felt at peace. With a content sigh, she closed her eyes and embraced his warmth, knowing she made the correct choice in joining his kingdom.


	11. Into the Nightmare

((Welp, the power's back, so that's good at least! As for this update, I apologize for my sucking at action scenes. I hope you all enjoy! I'm thankful for the feedback I'm getting and more is welcome! So yes, without further ado..! (I feel Like I say that all the time :o) Here's chapter 11, guys.))

Chapter 11: Into the Nightmare

"Be safe," she murmured in more of a plead than anything.

"I will," he responded, lifting a slender hand and placing it atop her head, smoothing her blond tresses down. With a final stroke, he turned and exited the palace.

With a sigh, Alice plopped herself down on the second step of the grand staircase just across the foyer. She had been living at the Cheshire's residence for about a week now and despite how odd she imagined it would be, it was actually quite normal—well, perhaps it was normal for Wonderland's standards.

The land was quiet—mostly due to the fact the Cheshire didn't intend to showcase Alice in public so suddenly—and none of the other kingdoms seemed to take any military action against the Club kingdom right away. The Cheshire had faceless servants and butlers—all of whom Alice had a difficult time telling the difference between due to their lack to facial features—who all scurried about taking care of the domestic duties. Alice was permitted to wander about the castle and do as she pleased. She enjoyed simply exploring the palace for the first two days, but after she adventured off to every square inch of every room, she became bored and would instead help out with the cleaning. Occasionally, she'd wander up to the Cheshire's room—where she would spend the night—and would find him looking over his kingdom from his windows. Certain days, she'd simply sit down on their bed and watch him, just enjoying his presence. Other days, she'd strike up a conversation which would manage to pull him away from his occupancy at the window and he'd sit on the side of the bed and talk with her for hours upon end.

With a content smile, Alice draped herself on the steps behind her. She was actually quite happy here. The first few nights were nerve-wracking, for she was unsure of the events that would unfold, but with each passing day, peacefulness settled inside of her. She was beginning to accept—and actually welcome—the idea of living with the Cheshire for the rest of her life.

But sadly, realization had to hit her like a tidal wave. Wonderland wasn't a fairytale, nor anything of that sort. It was a land divided by a three kingdoms; a competition for power ensuing. There wasn't going to be happily-ever-afters, instead, there was going to be blood and tears shed. The only thing she could do would be hope and pray that her Cheshire would be safe.

Rising from her perch, Alice smoothed the skirt of her dress before trudging over to the window beside the castle's main entry. She could still see the Cheshire's smoggy cloak not far from the entrance and wished nothing more than to be able to accompany on his journey. He promised he wouldn't be gone for long—that he simply had a meeting with the other kingdom heads—and that he'd be back early the next morning. Although he advised for her not to wait up for him, they both knew very well that she would.

Prying herself away from the window, she turned to come face to face with an expressionless man in a white button-down layered with a black vest and matching trousers. The corner of her lips tugged upward as she recalled the familiar butler. "Niles," Alice greeted. Although she had difficulty telling all of the other workers apart, Niles had seemed to be the only one she could easily pick out in a crowd. He didn't look any more different than the others, but there was a certain, old, gentlemanly aura surrounding him that she could feel blindfolded.

"Ah, Miss Alice," he responded with a slight bow of his head. "His Royal Highness has sent me strict orders to keep you busy!" Although he had no facial features, Alice could imagine a smile creep upon his face as his left eye closed in a wink. "He doesn't wish to worry you about his departure."

Alice couldn't help but smile. Although the Cheshire seemed like a gruesome being, he was actually quite caring. It almost made her feel as if his eternal grin perfectly displayed his true personality. "I can't help but worry," Alice said softly through a smile. It surely wasn't a secret around the Club residence that she was fond of the Cheshire. "But if you need assistance with any of the chores, I'll be glad to help."

"That's the spirit, Miss Alice!' the presumably elderly butler said cheerily before whisking her away.

It was quarter past ten when Alice finally finished up her chores. Obviously the Cheshire and Niles had been plotting silly little tasks that would keep her occupied for longer than they lead on to. She had time for a quick meal of stew and corn bread—a Wonderland favorite, apparently—before she slinked back up to the Cheshire's bedroom and fell back into the king-sized mattress. She had to hand it to Niles, he certainly did a good job at keeping her mind occupied.

Curling up on her side, Alice took a deep inhale. The sheets smelled of the Cheshire, a sweet and clean scent, almost reminiscent of freshly washed linen. She smiled to herself briefly. The thought of the Cheshire smelling of clean sheets almost made her giggle; but she loved the scent nonetheless. Closing her eyes, she fell into the beautiful realm of sleep.

Alice awoke to the sound of something crashing against the marble floors. She groggily sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. At first she thought one of the servants had simply knocked one of the vases off of a table, but considering the commotion it seemed to start outside her sleeping chamber, there was more to than a dropped object.

Slowly sliding off of the bed, Alice crossed the room and turned the brass knob of the door. Before she could pull it open to step outside, it wildly swung open, nearly clipping her in the face. She instinctually jumped back from the door's movement.

In the doorway stood a figure clad in a gray cloak. Suspicion rose from Alice's chest and bubbled into her throat as she watched it advance into the room. If its proportional mouth didn't give itself away, the aura surrounding it definitely did. The person she was staring at was definitely not the Cheshire. It was someone more menacing.

Alice went to run, but the figure was much faster than she was; her hesitant legs weren't as skillful as the practiced legs of the person's were. She stumbled backward, tripping over her feet and crashing to the floor while the figure lunged at her, the quick glint of a switchblade gleaming against the moonlight. Then, her foot thrashed out as if it were controlled by an unseen puppeteer and kicked the figure's hand, sending the blade sliding across the marble flooring. The being hissed out a string of swear words before losing hope in regaining the melee weapon in time, and resulted to his fists. With a clenched fist held high above his head, he let it fall, gaining momentum until his knuckles struck Alice's temple before she could resist.

The blow came to Alice like a wrecking ball, sending her toppling over onto her side. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that her temple had caved in upon impact. But then again, considering it was Wonderland, she couldn't be too sure. The only thing she was sure of was the pain; a splintering ache that engulfed her senses in a wildfire of agony and sent her eyes tearing.

As she sat recovering, the figure had stumbled over to the switchblade, snatching it up in a shaky hand. He twisted back and then flew forward toward her, blade outstretched and nostrils flaring like a wild bull's. She flung herself out of the way—save of a knick from the hilt of the blade—but at least she dodged the hit of the actual blade. The figure teetered forward, crashing to the ground as Alice shakily stood up.

Her head pounded and her shoulder stung from where the handle of the blade had hit, but she knew it was do or die. She lunged forward, knocking the switch knife out of the intruder's hand with her foot and scurried after it, only for her ankle to be caught. The figure's hand closed around her ankle and yanked on it, knocking her to the hard marble. She gasped for the air that had been forced out of her lungs as she struggled onto her elbows. Stretching her arms as far as she could, the tips of her fingers brushed the blade laying an arm's reach away.

With a burst of courage, she snatched up the knife, and drawing it forward, felt it impale the person's chest. With a blood-curdling yelp, the intruder released grip of her ankle and she crawled forward, away from the body as it writhed in pain. She felt her heart sink as she watched the person before her choke up cascading falls of scarlet and eventually fell still in a pool of its blood.

Alice wrenched away from the scene, backing herself up against the silvery walls. Hot liquid blurred her vision and fell upon her cheeks in a cascade of salty tears. She felt the world quake from under her as a familiar hand slide its way from her hair to her shoulder. "Oh, Ches!" she cried, reaching out for his cloak as he perched himself beside her. "I didn't mean to kill him! I really didn't!"

"I know, it's alright," he crooned, pulling her into his lap. "It's alright."


	12. In My Arms

((Hi guys! I'm sorry I haven't been able to update as recently as I normally do! (It's been a crazy week!) And I apologize for this crappy filler-chapter, but you'll have to bear with me when I have more time. I'll most likely update tomorrow and I'll try to make it good for once (._.) I want to thank all my readers and everyone who left reviews! I really, really appreciate you guys! So without further ado, chapter 12! (Which really shouldn't count but meh :o) Enjoy!))

Chapter 12: In My Arms

Alice drifted into a foggy consciousness with a faint pounding in her head that she could feel tremor in her ear. Her side would raise and fall involuntarily with small, consistent movements whilst a gentle breeze—sweet and warm—would occasionally blow onto the side of her face. A soft scent reminiscent of freshly washed linen flooded her nostrils as she buried her head in her pillow.

Only, as her mind slowly started to clear the fog away, her consciousness of direction came back to her. She wasn't lying down. Instead, she was propped up in a slightly upright position, her head and side resting against something.

As she opened her eyes, she realized she had been curled up on the Cheshire's lap, his arms loosely cradling her. He was presumably asleep, for the fact that his head was lolled to the side ever-so-slightly, his eternal grin emanating soft breaths that tickled her ear. His chest rose and fell slightly, and Alice could hear his heart gently pulsing against her ear.

Taking advantage of the moment, she curled up closer to him, burying her head in his chest. As cheesy as it seemed, it was like he was the sole thread that was keeping her from falling apart. If it wasn't for her meeting him, she wouldn't know where she'd be. She most certainly wouldn't be in Wonderland.

A lion-like yawn roused her from her thoughts. "Alice," the Cheshire murmured, his fatigue evident in his voice. Alice couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips. As odd as it sounded, she liked hearing him call her name. "Are you alright?" he asked.

The events of the previous night flooded back to her, drowning her mind with a mix of adrenalin and apprehension. She tried to drown it out; the sound of metal across marble as the switchblade slid along the floor, the crippled screaming as her attacker writhed in agony…

Her mind momentarily halted as it registered a pair of familiar hands work their way around her waist, drawing her closer to the Cheshire. A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she looked up at him in apprehension.

"What you encountered last night," he began slowly, almost as if he was trying to think how to word his thoughts right, "won't be the last of your encounters if you continue to live here." Perhaps Alice was imagining it, but she could've sworn she saw his grin falter just a centimeter, almost in a gesture of disappointment.

"Ches," She began to interrupt, but was silenced by a presumably stern glance from him—although she couldn't tell because of the eclipse of his hood, she could feel his stare urging her to keep quiet until he finished.

"You're going to face grave dangers if you stay," he continued. "I know of a way to return you to your world."

Alice couldn't believe her ears. She would be able to return home! But what would she return to? A pile of ashes where her house once stood? An orphanage? A bunch of neighbors who took pity on her? She didn't need pity. What she needed was to stay with the Cheshire.

"No," Alice replied firmly. "I want to stay here with you."

"But things are only going to get worse from here—"

Now it was Alice's turn to interrupt. "If I'm with you, nothing bad can happen, right?" she questioned timidly, burying her head in his cloak. She couldn't help it; with him, she felt like a blissfully ignorant child.

The Cheshire's hand slowly crept up to caress her blond tresses. "Yes, when we're together, nothing bad can happen," he told her. And he truly meant it.


	13. The Calm Before the Storm

((Hi, guys! I'm so sorry I haven't been that consistent with my updating! Fortunately, my horrible updating patterns will end soon; probably in three days or so! I just want to thank ya'll for the positive feedback, it really means a lot! I promise I'll start dishing out bigger and better chapters once my hectic schedule clears up! Thank you so much for bearing with me! Without further ado, Chapter 13! ^^))

Chapter 13: The Calm Before the Storm

Alice awoke to the quiet chirping of birds outside her window as streaks of sunlight peered in through the windows and warmed her cheeks. A throaty "hn," rose from her companion as she sat up, rousing him from his current position. A small smile danced upon her lips as her hand slid its way onto the hood of his cloak, affectionately stroking the material. "Ches, it's time to wake up," she crooned softly.

A groan emanated from the Cheshire's throat as he stirred onto his side. His hand lazily lifted, found her forehead and poked at it with two fingers before collapsing at his side once more.

"What was that for?" Alice questioned, rubbing her forehead. Although he most likely didn't mean for it to hurt, it still ached a bit. But then again, he wasn't used to playing nicely. Either way, Alice would hold no grudge.

"The snooze button," he moaned tiredly into the sheets.

Alice tried desperately to suppress a giggle, but to no avail. It came out in a short string that emerged from her throat and bubbled through her lips. Covering her mouth, she shot a cautious glance over at the Cheshire. Although the two had grown particularly close over the past month or so, she wasn't sure how he'd react to being laughed at.

Holding her breath, she watched as his head rose from the blankets and glanced in her direction. Before she could murmur an apology, his grin widened slightly and he exhaled a soft snort. His hand then rose and stroked her hair before sliding down to briefly caress her cheek on its way back to his side.

"I think I'll run a bath," she said abruptly, rising from the bed. The Cheshire simply nodded and buried his face back into the blankets as she made her way toward the off-suite bathroom.

She closed the door behind her and let out an exhale. She felt as if she had been holding her breath for hours. Her face felt warm, almost like the feeling one would experience had they lay out in the hot summer sun for too long, and her stomach flipped and flopped like it was performing a circus act. With a concerned curiosity, she strode to the mirror.

Her reflection stared back at her, cheeks sporting an embarrassing pink hue whilst her chest heaved—greatly enough for her to tell the difference between her normal chest movements during breaths, yet not over-dramatic enough for her to convince herself she had run a mile. Her fingers danced to her face, feeling the warmth of her cheeks. A seemingly innocent gesture of hers sent her senses tingling as butterflies were sent free in her stomach, their wings flapping furiously as they circled inside of her. What was happening to her?

Shaking her head to rid her thoughts, Alice pulled herself away from her bright red reflection and went to draw her bath. As the water ran, she began to undress. Normally, she would've left the door unlocked, knowing that the Cheshire respected privacy, but for some reason, something compelled her to sneak over to the door and quietly lock it shut. With a faint blush, she returned to the tub and waited for the water to fill it up.

She emerged from the bathroom about an hour later, her hair freshly shampooed and her skin smelling of lavender. She had mistakenly forgotten a change of clothes, so she donned a towel and uncomfortably stepped into the bedroom. To her relief, however, the Cheshire had left the room, presumably to eat. With the high hopes that it'd take him awhile to return, she quickly dropped her towel and changed into a powder blue dress that the Cheshire and Niles had bought specifically for her. With a smile, she pulled the dress over her head and smoothed it down once it fell around her knees.

It was almost comical to imagine the two parading around a market looking at girls' dresses. She stifled a giggle upon picturing the gruesome-looking Cheshire sorting through racks of pastel dresses. In a way, it was an odd image, but all the same, she found it adorable.

Once fully clothed, Alice exited the bedroom in hopes of finding the Cheshire. Perhaps he'd take her outside the castle and show her the garden like he did a week prior. After her ordeal with the intruder, she noticed that he tried his best to keep her happy by doing small things with her; from helping her cook desserts to showing her around the carefully guarded perimeter of the castle. She wouldn't openly admit it, but just spending time with him was enough.

She bounded down the grand staircase, her recently dried waves bouncing behind her. As she reached the bottom step, her eyes met a pair of dazzling sapphire ones. She stopped in her tracks; her heart slamming forward into her chest as she abruptly halted her movement. She mouth grew dry and her lips tried fruitlessly to form themselves into words. Instead, she stared forward, wide-eyed and mouth gaping.

"Why hello, Alice," the man before her spoke with the slightest of lisps. "Long time no see."


	14. Taken

((Hi, guys! I'm so so sooo sorry it took so long for me to update! This week has just been me running around non-stop! Thankfully, I'll be having some down time so I'll try to update as much as possible. I'm so thankful for everyone's patience and kind words ^-^ From now on I'll do my best to make this story the best that I can. Once again, thank ya'll so much! Without further ado, Chapter 14! Enjoy!))

Chapter 14: Taken

"Why hello, Alice. Long time no see."

"…Hatter?" Alice breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My what a brilliant little girl," he complimented, tipping his hat to her. His lips turned up into a mocking grin that made Alice's stomach churn.

She was warned to beware the other kingdom heads. She learned from the servants that resided within the Cheshire's castle that each head had their own niche which made them extremely dangerous. They started off by warning her about the Cheshire—and even though she was told to be careful around him, she knew very well that he wouldn't do anything to endanger her—who was very intelligent and cunning; his craftiness made him nimble like a cat, always one step ahead of the competition. They followed up with the Queen of Hearts, who intimidated her subjects into obeying her, and continued to warn Alice that the Queen often times killed innocent people upon a whim. And lastly, they finished up with the Mad Hatter; whose poise and gentlemanly nature charmed his subjects into obedience. But the Hatter didn't simply get the title of being "Mad" from mercury poisoning that came along with his trade of making hats; according to rumor, he was truly and undoubtedly insane.

"What's your business here, Hatter?" Alice questioned, struggling to control her wavering voice. She wouldn't willingly let him know that she was frightened of him, that would only get her into trouble. So instead, she would put on a tough persona that displayed no weakness.

However, the Hatter seemed to notice her distress rather quickly and sauntered forward on a pair of confident legs. "Oh Alice, 'tis hardly a way to be a good hostess, ain't it?" His voice was husky, and begun to weave in and out between an American and European slur.

"You shouldn't be here," Alice stated as firmly as she could. She held her ground as he stalked over to her, his lean and lanky body towering over her mere height. He grinned at her, and she could smell the trace of tea heavy on his breath; reminiscent of the stench of alcohol upon a drinker's. Perhaps his tea was why he was truly mad.

"Mm, and you shouldn't be here either," he murmured.

His breath was sticky and hot in her ear and made her stomach churn. As he leaned in closer to her, and her hands shot out to his chest to keep him at bay. "Stop!" she shouted, craning her neck up toward him. His defined jaw was clenched, and his once sapphire eyes—Alice _swore _he had blue eyes—were now a burning emerald color belonging more to a wild tiger than a human being.

"Alice!" he shouted rather desperately, a momentary flicker of sapphire swirled around his pupils before being taken over by green hues. "You're nothing buh a bother!" he growled through his teeth, his hand closing around her forearm. "Why did you come back?"

She winced as his fingers dug into her arm. She instinctually backed up as far as she could manage, and struggled to escape from his grasp. "What did you mean come back?" she all but cried out, her brain begging for some sense in the midst of madness.

"Do you know how much trouble you cause us? Why do you keep returnin'?" He snarled furiously, clenching her wrist in his calloused hands. As she opened her mouth to answer, he let out a grunt and violently pushed her.

Alice felt as if she was falling in slow motion. She felt herself being flung toward the stairs, and watched in horror as the Hatter's eyes emerald feverishly stared down at her with a renewed sense of hatred. Her fall took ages, as increments of time seemed to slow momentarily. Then, with a sickening thud, her spine hit the staircase.

The wind was forced out of her, and her lungs burned as they tried to replenish the supply of oxygen they were deprived of. Once she took a wavering first breath, the agonizing sting of the impact flooded the nerves of her back and traveled to her brain in frantic tidal waves. Her breath struggled to escape her throat as she stared on helplessly as the Hatter flung himself onto her.

"Alice, oh Alice!" he cried, scooping her up into his arms. As she stared up at him, the emerald hues gave way to topaz ones that contrasted against his fuchsia colored tresses. "Why don't you remember me?" he breathed, a shaky hand rising to stroke the side of her face. "Alice, remember me. Remember me please!" He begged.

Alice's head whirled, either due to her fall, or the madness of it all. The only thing she knew was that the rumor about the Hatter being insane was not a rumor, but reality, and she was experiencing it firsthand. She lay helpless as he gathered her in his arms like a child picking up a rag-doll, her body refusing to react in any way. Soon, her vision grew blurry as the Hatter's silhouette faded into a haze of gray.

"Alice," She could hear the Hatter call, but it sounded as if he was miles away. "Are you alright, my dear?" Through the fog that invaded her mind and sight, she somehow conjured up the realization that the "normal" Hatter's state of mind had once again emerged. With a bit of remorse, she submitted to the pain flooding her nerves and closed her eyes in the arms of an enemy.


	15. A Warm Invitation

((Hi, guys! As promised, a new update! I'm sorry if it leaves much to be desired, I was running behind schedule with some things I needed to get done so I kind of just rushed it a bit. I promise, promise, PROMISEE I'll get up a legitimate update either later tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with me! I truly appreciate everything everyone has to say about it! I hope ya'll enojy! ^-^))

Chapter 15: A Warm Invitation

Alice drifted into consciousness with a pain that twisted from her spin to her neck like a Chinese dragon spiraling itself on a scroll of folk-art. "Ches," she groaned quietly, shifting uncomfortably to her side. "I had the weirdest dream," she muttered, lolling her head onto her outstretched arm. Too exhausted to open her eyes, she awaited her companion's reply. But it never came.

"Ches?" she questioned, her eyelids fluttering open curiously. A wave of uneasiness settled upon her chest and made it hard to breathe as she took in her surroundings. The room she was in was not the residency she was familiar to. Instead of muted gray tones for the color pallet, the room was engulfed in hues of blue and colors somewhere in-between pink and purple pigmentations. The room was completely alien to her.

A rasp at her door caused her to bolt upright, her nerves bundling into a ball that seemed to crush into her with each passing moment. A hoarse voice filtered into the air preceding another knock. "Miss Alice," it called in a voice Alice could only place to the tone belonging to a wealthy, elderly man who smoked one too many cigarettes, "The Master requests you to join him for tea."

Master? The only other kingdom head that was a male was the Hatter, so she presumed she ended up inside the madman's castle. After all, taking another look around, the décor did seem to match him; the color scheme reminiscent of his hair and eyes, as well as clocks and gadgets littering the corners of the room, only to be softened by the sight of stray fabric swatches that appeared to be discarded from a few of his projects.

Balling up her fists, Alice was suddenly infuriated. How dare he take her from the Cheshire's kingdom—without her permission, nonetheless! "I care not to join him!" she shouted, her lower lip protruding in a pout like a defiant child's. Although the person who came to fetch her couldn't see her protesting, she hoped they would at least be able to envision it with the help of her tone.

"But Miss Alice," the voice called, a hint of impatience invading his tone. "What the Master requests, he receives."

"Well, then tell him he's nothing more than a spoiled brat!" she yelled back, crossing her arms over her chest. After a few moments of silence, the irony dawned upon her. Here _she_ was, acting like the biggest spoiled brat a person could even begin to dream up. There was no use in being defiant. Perhaps if she were to go down and talk to the Hatter, she'd be able to straighten things out.

Sliding off the bed, she timidly crept over to the door and turned the knob. Upon opening it, she was greeted by a small, bald man—who couldn't be an inch over five feet—with a rounded nose set above a white handlebar moustache dwarfing his petite lips. Alice couldn't quite tell if he was looking at her or not, for his squinted eyes—which formed nothing more than two lines in the middle of his face—were eclipsed immensely by his white eyebrows, which were equally as bushy as his moustache. He was clothed in an olive green robe, and held a cane under his left hand for stability—or he was using it to hold his balance until he raised it and knocked Alice over the head with it.

"You are quite the spoiled brat, yourself," he muttered in an injured tone, as if he was the one Alice offended instead of the hatter.

Alice rubbed her head where the elderly man's cane had made contact. It stung a bit, but not as much as his words did. But then again, she brought that upon herself. With a bit of shame, she bowed her head timidly.

"Never mind that," the man spoke up again, clearing his throat. "The Master still awaits you."

Alice nodded and shyly followed the man down the hallway. Upon a series of right and left turns, they came across a large, oak door that could've been the size of a door leading to a horse stable. The elderly man stepped to the side, beckoning Alice to go inside the door unaccompanied. She assumed the door she was about to go through would lead to where the Mad Hatter was.

With knots in her stomach, she reached up and placed her hand on the knob. Would she be alright to see the Hatter after the previous night's incident? Would he be sane—or, in his case, slightly less _insane_—than he was when he attacked her? Would he attack her again? Swallowing hard, she turned the knob and heard the lock unbolt as the door swung open.

The bright lighting of the room filtered into the poorly illuminated hallway and momentarily blinded Alice as the aroma of desserts and tea poured out and swarmed around her, engulfing her in a haze of sweetness. Taking a hesitant step forward, she entered the room. Eyes still adjusting from the increase of light, she felt vulnerable. A chill went down her aching spine as she heard a man's voice; sweet and rich flood her ears, "Welcome, Alice."


	16. The Wanderer's Fate

((Hi guys! I just wanted to say I'm so thankful for all of the positive feedback I'm getting! This week I should be able to update more frequently, so I just wanted to thank you guys for being so patient with me over the past week! I hope you enjoy this update!))

Chapter 16: The Fate of a Kingdom

"Come; sit down," the Hatter invited, stretching out an arm and beckoning Alice to a mahogany chair upholstered with a black and white checkerboard pattern. She did so timidly, taking cautious steps toward the man who once lashed out at her. Sitting down, Alice noticed that the Hatter's sapphire eyes had returned, and hues of blue and turquoise coasted about his pupil, drawing her eyes into the depths of his cerulean pools. She would've drowned in them if it weren't for his voice cutting into the silence. "What brings you here, my dear?"

Alice blinked, drawing her gaze away from his captivating eyes. Had he not remembered he practically kidnapped her? Then again, she wasn't sure how his mind worked, necessarily. For all she knew, his sane—and she used the word 'sane' loosely—state of mind simply blacked out and he was taken over by some unknown burst of madness. A situation that would seem terribly odd in her world suddenly didn't seem so mad. After all, she was in the presence of the Mad Hatter.

"I just have a few questions for you, is all," she stammered, trying to formulate a reasonable explanation. Fortunately enough, the Hatter seemed to buy it, for he pushed the brim of his top hat higher on his forehead, an intrigued expression playing on his face.

"I'm surprised you didn't just ask Ches," he began, almost proudly, as if he had won some sort of intellectual competition. Sitting forward, his calloused hands reached forward, grabbing hold of a teapot and skillfully poured the warm, brown liquid into two cups. Setting the teapot back down to his side, he slid one of the teacups over to Alice before reaching for his own. After a quick sip, his lips puckered, and he muttered a displeased "tsk," before extending his arm to a blue bowl. Taking hold of a silver spoon that balanced on the rim of the bowl, he scooped out two sugar cubes before tossing them into his cup. After returning the spoon to its rightful place, he once again tested his tea; this time, pleased with the outcome.

"So what questions do you have for me?" he inquired, setting his teacup down carefully in front of him. He held himself with a gentlemanly poise, of which the Cheshire's servants had warned Alice about. Although he seemed sane at the moment, Alice knew that he could snap within the blink of an eye.

"Well," Alice began, staring into the cup of tea before her. She watched the steam rise from it and hoped it would give her some sort of clue as to what to ask. "The weather here; it's different from the Cheshire's," she finally said, noting the noticeable chill in the air. Rising her head, her eyes carefully wandered over to the Hatter.

He reclined back in his chair at the head of the table, crossing one of his legs over the other. He flaunted a gap-toothed smile—that on anyone other than him would probably look utterly ridiculous—before opening his mouth to speak. "T'is hardly a question," he commented, but decided to elaborate anyway. "The three kingdoms represent three of the cardinal directions—west, north, and south—and each direction has its own climate. My kingdom resides in the North, where it's winter all year round—but there are days where the temperature is moderate, of course. The Queen of Heart's kingdom is located in the southern-most part of Wonderland, where summer is its eternal season—Lord knows that the weather reflects Her Majesty's temper." With a chuckle, he continued on. "And the Cheshire's kingdom—by the process of elimination—resides west, where the climate is reminiscence of your autumn." He paused and picked up his tea. "But of course you wouldn't have noted the temperature differences before you stepped foot here. I admire how fast you're able to think on your feet," he commented, taking a sip.

Alice blushed, looking down at the liquid that was set in front of her. She gave a weak laugh before taking a brief glance up at the man beside her. So the Hatter caught on quicker than his title of being mad let on to believe.

She brought her full attention back to the cup in front of her and noted how the steam had subsided. Deciding that her tea had cooled enough, she lifted it to her lips. Taking a sip, she did her best not to grimace. The tea was black, and had a strong, herbal taste. Not wanting to impose on her host, she decided against reaching for the sugar cubes although he had done the same moments prior. With another sip, she set the tea down in front of her.

"I must admit, Ches has caught quite the catch," the Hatter stated, almost in a tone of defeat. He took another sip of his tea before placing it on the table once again.

Alice sat quiet for a moment, the gears of her mind turning with a genuine curiosity. "Why are—" she paused, trying to recall the term the trio of heads had used to describe her at their initial meeting, "—wanderers so important to a kingdom?" She questioned.

"Well," he begun, a knowing smile playing upon his lips, "the subjects here are born to a kingdom. They cannot simply walk away from her mother domain; like we said before, you die with your kingdom. However, there are a few who will risk being persecuted in order to transfer empires." He paused, picking up his tea once more. "Since new people—wanderers—are not common, they intrigue citizens, attracting them like a light attracts a moth." Rising the teacup to his lips, he paused, downing the liquid. "And the more citizens that leave a kingdom, there's little the head can do to prevent that."

"What happens when a lot of citizens leave a kingdom?" Alice questioned, her curiosity getting the best of her.

The Hatter set down his tea as a sullen facade washed over him. "The kingdom that loses the most citizens dies."

"What happens when the kingdom dies?" Alice dared to ask.

"All of the remaining citizens die with it, as well as the head."

A lump formed in Alice's throat as the Hatter informed her. She wasn't aware that the stakes were so high. No wonder why the three kingdoms competed so vigorously to stay in power, and had competed for her blessing of joining their kingdom-although it was a lost cause considering she and they knew she would choose the Cheshire. The more citizens meant a longer life for not only the kingdom, but all its inhabitants.

"Do you realize," the Hatter begun, snapping her out of her thoughts, "that along with attracting citizens, you could also deter; which means that not only are our kingdoms at risk, but the Cheshire's is too." He paused briefly, his sapphire eyes lifting to meet hers. "Are you ready to shoulder such a burden?"


	17. A Tale of Three Kingdoms

((Hi, guys! Sorry I haven't updated recently! But I found some time tonight to do some writing, so here we are! I'm thankful for all the reviews and PMs I've been getting! I'm really glad ya'll like it! Along with all that happy jazz, I was wondering if you guys would rather a long fanfic (about 26-40 chapters) or a shorter one (20-25 chapters). I'd really be appreciative if you guys reviewed and would let me know which you would like! (Because if I choose, I might end up not pleasing some of you :o) But yes, without further ado, chapter 17! Enjoy!))

Chapter 17: A Tale of Three Kingdoms

Alice's head whirled and her stomach churned at the thought of countless innocent people dying simply because of her. She didn't sign up for such a grave burden to bear. But then again, she didn't sign up for Wonderland in general. She was sort of just thrown into the mess and expected to somehow balance everything out. Was that what other wanderers did? Adjust everything so it'd be stable? If so, she was having doubts if she would be able to fill that expectation.

She swallowed. "Why is it such a great role for a wanderer?" She wanted to know. Why did the fate of a kingdom depend solely on whether people liked her or not? And wasn't everyone supposed to love her?

The Hatter sat patiently, lazily studying her facial expression. Judging by the way he carefully looked down, grabbed his tea, and took a prolonged sip, Alice assumed she was making quite the unflattering face. When the Hatter was done partaking from his cup, he set it down and let his elbows rest upon the table. Clearing his throat quietly, he laced his fingers together in a sort of a cradle and rested his chin on them, staring up at Alice with his deep pools of sapphire. For a brief moment, Alice could've swore she saw specks of emerald creep from his pupil and taint the once brilliant blue shade with hues of eerie green. Then, just like that, the emerald disappeared, leaving no trace to be seen.

"Alice," the Hatter began, his mesmerizing eyes curious as to why she had been staring so intently, "Our world is different from yours. The death of a kingdom is simply a natural occurrence; something that is inevitable. But you, my dear, just speed up the process."

Alice's lips tried desperately to form a question, but her mouth refused to move. She didn't know how to react. Kingdoms were _supposed _to die?

Seeing her puzzlement, the Hatter begun to explain. "Wonderland was once ruled by a single ruler, Alyce White." He paused, taking a moment to glance up at Alice, who sat erect, finding irony in the similarity between her first name and the once ruler of Wonderland. "She was a mild queen, full of compassion and strength; almost everyone was quite fond of her." Taking a brief moment to quietly sip at his tea, he then continued, "However, just because she was compassionate, didn't mean she didn't act as a stern ruler when she needed to. One day, she sentenced Blood of the Creed Trio—one of the most notorious band of criminals in all of Wonderland—to spend life in the dungeon for killing an innocent mother and her unborn child. The other two Creed members—his sister Claret and brother Rune—were outraged by the condemnation their brother received and snuck into Her Majesty's chambers and slaughtered her and four of her closest guards and lady's maids. The loss of Wonderland's Queen sent the country in a mass panic and a search for a replacement.

"For half a decade, the Creed Trio—considering Rune and Claret freed Blood shortly after Her Majesty fell—ruled Wonderland. Those five years were a period of chaos and destruction, they truly were," he muttered, shaking his head as if he was trying to prevent reliving the experience. "The trio wanted to further strengthen their power, so they created a sort of alliance, in which each member would take lead of their own kingdom. However, this act angered Crypt, and he placed a curse on all three of the kingdoms and their ancestors."

"Who's Crypt?" Alice asked, interrupting the story.

The Hatter closed his eyes briefly, excusing her interruption, before opening them once again. "Crypt is an ancient being—known as a Totem—who once created Wonderland. He's a mighty being whose existence is the thread that holds our very world together; he holds the fate of Wonderland in the palm of his hands."

"Oh," Alice responded breathlessly. It was hard to imagine a superior being who had so much control over Wonderland and everyone who inhabited it. She wondered what kind of being he was. Was he a wise being who acted solely on the interests of Wonderland's citizens? Or did he act on a whim? Either way, she couldn't help but become curious.

"Decades passed," the Hatter begun slowly, trying to recapture her attention with the previous story, "And the trio remained heads of the three kingdoms. However, Crypt was determined to get revenge for the loss of his hand-picked Queen; so, along came Markus, the first wanderer in the history of Wonderland. He shared the likeness of the queen and immediately attracted the fondness of Wonderland's citizens. News of the wanderer spread, and eventually greed engulfed the three kingdoms and each head tried desperately to persuade Markus to join their kingdoms. However, little did they know, competing for power would cost each kingdom greatly."

"Is that when the kingdoms begun to die?" Alice questioned, gingerly lifting her tea cup to her lips. The liquid was cool now, she didn't dare stray away from the story the Hatter was telling. Instead, she downed the cold tea and set the empty cup on the table.

The Hatter bowed his head in a nod. "One by one, the kingdoms slowly began to die. Claret's charm ended up winning Markus's affection, so he joined her kingdom. Because of that, citizens begun to escape from the other kingdoms—although Blood and Rune strictly forbid them to do so. Eventually, Rune's kingdom was the first to collapse, and he died along-side of his remaining citizens. Blood, on the other hand, refused to give up power considering he was accustomed to being in command, and attacked his sister's kingdom, killing Markus in the process."

"So did Claret's kingdom die?" Alice asked. She wasn't quite sure where the story was going at this point.

"Her kingdom didn't die right away, if that's what you were more correctly wondering. Everyone's kingdoms die at some point and time," he explained, a serine look playing on his face, almost as if he accepted the fate. "Crypt wouldn't allow Markus to be killed under such rotten circumstances. Instead, he made sure to reincarnate Markus as the third kingdom head, to replace Rune. Eventually, Markus's kingdom built itself up and expanded, and the three kingdoms were once again in a competition for power." The Hatter paused, picked up his head, and reached over to the teapot, pouring him and Alice another cup of tea before continuing. "The three kingdoms can exist in competition as long as the seas are calm. Once a wanderer is introduced, their thirst for power overtakes them, and that greed begins a greater war."

"So, there's only a war when a wanderer comes around?"

"No, there is always a war."

Alice glanced up, confused by the hatter's words. She watched as his arm extended across the table for the sugar bowl. Once his two sugar cubes were reunited with the tea, he briefly stirred the liquid before bringing it to his lips. After a short sip so he wouldn't allow the reheated water to burn his mouth, his brilliant eyes fluttered up to meet hers.

"There's always a war in Wonderland," he explained, setting his tea back down. "Only, it's not a war that claims countless lives until a wanderer is brought into the picture. Then, that's when kingdoms begin to die."

"So when kingdom head's die," she articulated carefully, searching for the meaning of the Hatter's lengthy tale, "the wanderer takes their place?"

The Hatter's lips curled into a smile, soft at first, but then revealing his gapped grin. "Precisely," he crooned. "You're a smart little girl, Alice; the quality of a brilliant ruler resides within you."

Alice felt her heart slam on its breaks and crash into her ribcage. So she was supposed to take over once one of the heads died? She wasn't prepared to rule a kingdom! And how couldn't she have the choice to decide if she was to take the throne or not?

"Alice, I know what you're thinking," the Hatter said, dropping his voice to what once would consider a slightly compassionate tone, "I was once a wanderer as well. You've been chosen for this role from the beginning."

"But it's not fair!" Alice shouted. As her words resonated in the air, she sounded much like an spoiled child. But what was she to do? It truly wasn't fair! How dare her fate be decided for her?

"You have no choice!" the Hatter growled, slamming his fists down on the table and leaping up from his chair in the process. His once tranquil sapphire hues gave way to his ferocious emerald ones as he stared at Alice. "How dare you deem yourself so superior as to be arrogant about this?" he bellowed, slamming his fists down on the table once more.

"How dare you just accept this fate!" she yelled back. She rose from her chair, kicking it out from under her as she did so. She was shaking now, not due to the fear she was anticipating, but rather to rage.

"How dare you degrade me?" He snapped, approaching her with aggravated steps fueled by her shouting. As he arrived at her side, he grabbed onto a lock of her flaxen tresses, yanking her head toward him. "You have no right to talk down to a head!" he hissed.

Her scalp stung from where he pulled her hair, but she refused to submit. She wasn't going to allow someone as mad as him to take advantage of her twice over a two-day span. "And you have no right to talk down to a head, either!" she spat, raising her hand to slap him straight across the cheek.

For a moment, the Hatter's eyes flashed to a pool of coffee, and he muttered a strangled, "Oh, Alice! Forgive me, love!" Then, the colors dissipated and returned to his outraged emerald color, in which he bore daggers into Alice's soul after being slapped.

Wrenching away from the Hatter's grasp, Alice broke out into a run, pushing through the large oak door she once entered. She could hear the Hatter's pounding footsteps as he pedaled after her, shouting long strings of words engulfed in incomprehensible accents as he did so. The only thing she knew was that she had to get away. And fast.


	18. The Underworld

((Hi, guys! So sorry I haven't been updating this as frequently as I used to! I kind of just quickly updated this because I doubt if I'll be able to update within the next two or three days. But after that, I promise I'll get more chapters up more frequently. So, bare with me and this not-so-exciting chapter!))

Chapter 18: The Underworld

Alice could feel her heart pounding through her chest as her feet tried desperately to carry her away from the Hatter. But he was much taller than her, with legs longer than her own. His strides easily carried him to her whilst she tried desperately to pedal herself further away.

_'Left!' _a voice within her instructed. It wasn't her mind's thought, yet she couldn't tell whose voice it was. It was neither a male nor female, neither her voice nor anyone else's. Instead, it was almost instinctive, guiding her away from danger. She had heard—no, felt—the voice on the first day she wandered into Wonderland; when she was within the Queen's labyrinth being pursued by a faceless army. '_Left!' _it shouted again, and she complied.

She made a sharp left, nearly tripping over herself in the process of turning. She scrambled across the carpeted hallway floors, thankful for the fact that they weren't marble. Marble would only make the chase even more deadly. With the way the Hatter was shouting intelligible strings of words from behind her, she safely assumed that if he happened to get a hold of her, he could have no problem severely injuring her.

"Stop runnin'!" She heard the Hatter command just a few feet behind her. It seemed as if he was a bit further away, presumably thrown off by the sharp left she had previously made. But then again, Alice had no doubt he'd easily catch up. After all, she was in _his _home court, and he had to know where every hallway and crevasse was located. Surely she was at a disadvantage.

_'Left!' _the voice hissed again and she threw herself around the corner. She stumbled, but quickly recovered, her feet once again finding the pounding rhythm against the carpeting. '_Door!'_ it instructed. "What door?" Alice whispered feverishly, not wanting to risk slowing her pace to look for a door that wasn't obvious to be seen. '_Crouch!'_

Alice timidly obeyed, crouching down to sit on her heels. Her heart pounded in her ears as she hoped that whatever was instructing her was correctly doing so. She didn't want to imagine what scene the Hatter would create once he caught her.

She could hear the pounding of the Hatter's footsteps as he drew near, each step seeming to constrict her breathing. "Now what?" she hissed under her breath. '_Door!' _the voice instructed irritably.

Glancing around feverishly, Alice saw a faint separation in the wall next to her. It was nothing but a rectangular crack encasing the lower portion of the wall; the only proof of its being was the faint light flooding through the millimeter cracks. She hastily pushed it open, and misjudging how much weight was needed to force it open, toppled through the door.

As Alice tumbled, the air got caught in her throat, making it impossible to scream on her way down. As unlikely as it seemed, the door appeared to be an opening to a never-ending pitfall, in which she fell, silently and quickly, descending into nothingness. After a few moments of falling, she hit cemented ground with an audible _thud._

Every bone in Alice's body ached from the impact. The only notion that kept her from wondering why she hadn't been killed from the fall was the pure fact that she was in Wonderland. As unlikely as it seemed in her world, something as insane as tumbling stories and landing on concrete was not lethal. Or, at least it didn't appear to be.

Picking herself up into a sitting position, Alice glanced around at her surroundings. The room she was in was dully light, nothing but a single, bare light bulb hanging from the center of the room to illuminate the darkness. The overall feel of the place was cold and damp, with a horrible odor that was reminiscent of decay and musk hanging thick in the air. Where was she?

She allowed her eyes to adjust a bit further, until she was finally able to make out where she was. It appeared she had toppled into a dungeon of some sorts, with iron wrought cages encasing the perimeter of the room while shackles hung lazily from the back walls. The occasional sound of water dripping into a larger puddle made her shudder, from both the noticeable chill in the room and the eerie atmosphere. She knew the Hatter was mad, but mad enough to throw people into a dungeon such as this one? She thought that was beyond him.

Alice carefully stood up, concerned that her legs were going to give out on her at any minute. She wouldn't consider herself courageous under any circumstance, but she wasn't the most cowardly either. However, this situation sent waves of nausea to overtake her stomach. Would she ever be able to find a way out?

Pulling herself away from her rooted position, she hesitantly ventured deeper into the depths of the dungeon. "Hello?" she called out habitually. Although she couldn't help her mouth from shakily forming the words, she'd much rather she didn't say anything at all. As much as she didn't want to be locked in the dungeon by herself, she surely didn't want someone or something to be in there with her as well.


	19. A Strange Stand

((Hi, guys! Sorry it took so long to update! I've been mighty busy! But thanks for the patience! I hope you enjoy this update even though it's pretty short! Hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently now that the holidays are over!))

Chapter 19: A Strange Stand

"Hello?" Alice called into the murkiness, hoping that she wasn't going to get a response. She stared into the darkness, eyes desperately scanning from each side of the room to another. Looking closely, she could've swore she saw a shift in the darkness as a shadow slowly passed by the cellblocks, crossed the back of the dungeon—softly disturbed the shackles on the wall—before striding over to the other cellblock opposite of its start. Hands flying to her mouth, a gasp escaped her lips as she flew back, wrenching away from whatever was stirring at the room opposite of her.

"You _stupid_ girl," a voice murmured in an annunciated, deliberate drawl. "Crypt did us great injustice with a wanderer such as yourself. How do you expect to govern a kingdom if you're afraid of things that go bump in the night?" With the rhetorical question hanging in the air, a puff of blue smoke rose from the back corner of the room, quickly illuminating the darkness.

Alice shrank back once she saw what lurked in the room with her: a large, blue caterpillar-like creature covered in grotesque slime was perched on the back wall opposite of her. It hung upside down, its tail-end attacked to the ceiling, and its head curled upward, so it would not come in contact with the floor. It stared intently at her with mismatched eyes—one being two times larger than the other—and a mouth pressed into a firm line, insinuated by two deep, vertical wrinkles on either side of his rounded, cat-like nose.

"Well?" It pressed, rocking forward and puffing another cloud of smoke into the air, "What do you have to say for yourself? Although there is very little you could say to defend your pitiful self."

Alice blinked, trying to force herself to speak. "—who are you?" She questioned; she couldn't help but let it slip out. She was curious about the large creature in front of her.

"_Who-o _am I?" The caterpillar repeated in a long drawl, puffing another cloud of smoke into the air. He stared intently at Alice, making her feel uncomfortable. "Isn't it a bit rude to question when you haven't answered yourself?"

"Oh, well I—"

"Absolem," the insect interrupted.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"My, you _are _a stupid girl," the caterpillar blew another cloud of blue smoke and rocked forward from his perch, leaning closer to her stance at the opposite end of the room. "My name is Absolem. Now what's yours?"

"Absolem?" Alice repeated, testing the feeling of his name on her tongue. Before she could speak again to answer his question, the blue bug interrupted with a huff.

"No, _I'm _Absolem, you stupid girl." He retorted.

"I didn't mean it like that." Alice replied, slightly frustrated with the large insect before her. If he would just let her finish…

"Then what _did _you mean?"

Dumbfounded, Alice pursed her lips together. "Well, I—" she stumbled over her words for a bit before taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts. "I'm Alice." She finally said.

"I know who you are," Absolem responded, rather matter-of-factly.

"Then why did you ask?" She was tired of the oversized bug's games. All she wanted was to get out of the dungeon, not be bothered by a caterpillar.

"I was making sure you knew."

"Why wouldn't I know who I am?"

"Wonderland is like a tidal pool," Absolem began, briefly pausing to allow a blue puff of smoke to escape his lips. "It's easy for us to be swept and churned around until we simply forget who we are and what we stand for. What do _you _stand for?"

Alice felt uncomfortable as his mismatched eyes stared intently at her with some sort of ancient knowledge that seemed to already predict—if not know—her answers. "Well, how should I know what I stand for?" she questioned. She didn't know she was supposed to stand for something.

"That's for me to know, and for you to go and find out," he replied.

"But how can I find out if I can't get out of here?"

"You exit the same way you came in, stupid girl," Absolem responded, cocking his head toward the ceiling above her. Alice glanced up and seeing how implausible the feat was, looked back at him with a dumbfounded expression. "Must I explain everything to you?" He questioned with a huff, blowing out smoke as he did so.

"Well I fell so I'm not sure how—"

Alice was interrupted by the sudden shift in air. As she paused to question what was happening, the skirt of her dress began to rise and her hands frantically fell to keep it in place. Struggling with her dress, her hair began to defy gravity, almost as if someone rubbed a balloon over her head and the static was holding it above her. Offering a quizzical look upward, she felt the room shift, and she was suddenly sent tumbling down to the hole she once fell out of. In the midst of her falling, she could hear Absolem's voice grow faint behind her. "What a strange girl."


	20. Curiosity Killed the Cat

((Hi, guys! I'm really sorry I haven't been updating recently! I'll be trying to update as frequently as I can! I hope ya'll don't mind this chapter too much, it's kinda sucky if I do say so myself :x Reviews are welcome as always; either constructive or other! Hope ya'll enjoy!))

Chapter 20: Curiosity Killed the Cat

Alice tumbled out of the hole in the wall she once fell from, toppling over herself before finally landing in a final heap consisting of a wrinkled dress and a dizzy girl. Dazed, she stared up at the Mad Hatter, who stood dumbfounded before her. Her heart almost hammered into her chest until she realized that his eyes had returned to their serene blue that she learned had indicated a lapse in his insanity. He stumbled over to her, hands outstretched to help her recover from her tumble.

"My, Alice, where have you been?" he questioned, helping her to her feet. "I've been looking all over the place for you!"

"I'm sorry. I seemed to have gotten lost trying to look for the powder room," she muttered sheepishly, making an attempt to play along with his erratic state of mind. He didn't seem like he remembered the previous events that caused the chaotic chase scene.

"Well, you should've asked me to guide you there!" He responded, gapped grin spreading across his face. "It would've saved you the trouble of wandering around."

"I'll remember that for next time," Alice responded timidly, a soft smile attempting to respond to his. He was generally a nice guy—except for his bursts of insanity—yet she couldn't help but keep her guard up around him. After all, he was unpredictable…

Then, the sound of a large door slamming shut caused the duo to jump and cast cautious glances at the other. The Hatter, perplexed by the phenomena, strode forward with guarded steps. He exited the sitting room Alice had fallen into—she suddenly became aware of her surroundings once the atmosphere changed—and made a right turn. Alice looked on in uneasiness as she debated whether to follow or not. The noise didn't seem to be a usual occurrence in the quite manner.

Taking a few, prolonged steps forward, Alice stopped short once she spotted a figure preparing to round the corner and stride into the room. It took her a few minutes to process that the silhouette rounding the corner was someone other than the Hatter—being that the Hatter had a shorter stature than the figure itself—before she truly recognized the visitor.

"Chess!" She all but squealed, throwing herself to shorten the distance that separated the two. An act that concerned her as being too impudent was simply countered by the Cheshire catching her movement in his arms. At first, it was a soft greeting, but then transposed into a more intense embrace kindled by the ache of absence.

"Chess," Alice murmured softly into his chest. Her hands found their way around his torso and clutched the fabric of his cloak under his shoulder blades. She wasn't sure how long she was gone, but all she knew was that she deeply missed him and couldn't be more excited than to be in his arms.

"It's been two days, Alice," he reprimanded softly, almost as if he had been reading her mind. His hands briefly stroked her blond tresses and back before releasing their grasp on her. Almost reluctantly, Alice followed suit, dropping her arms to her side.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize how long—"

She was cut off by the Cheshire's hand landing delicately on her shoulder, followed by it sliding down to the small of her back. Before she had time to respond to his gesture, she found herself being guided out of the room by the light pressure of his hand. As the Cheshire lead her to the front of the mansion, she could hear the Hatter chirp out behind her, "Oh Ches, leaving so soon? Let Alice come back, won't you?" With that, the Cheshire forced the front door open and lead her out.

The walk back to the Club Kingdom was mostly silent, the only sound being the patter of footsteps that reverberated from the two pairs of feet pounding the back roads of the dense forest separating the two kingdoms. Alice didn't necessarily mind the silence—she was content with the mere presence of her companion—yet she couldn't help keep a reoccurring question from plaguing her mind. Finally, she decided to submit and break the silence.

"Ches?" she began, offering a slide-glance up at her partner. "Are you really a cat?" she questioned quietly, unsure of how he'd react to her inquiry. Yet, she couldn't help but be curious about it. After all, she often heard the Cheshire's servants refer to him behind his back as "the Cat".

"In a way, I suppose," he mused, refraining from turning his head toward her. Instead, he stared on in the direction they were heading, allowing the hood of his cloak to eclipse his profile. "I'm considered wise and independent. I suppose that's feline-like." He answered. Before Alice could concoct a response, he began again, "As are you. I suppose you'll handle the kingdom well."

_Wait. What?_ Alice leaned forward, almost as if she hadn't heard him right. "Handle the kingdom well?" she repeated curiously.

"The Wanderer only arrives in order to take a head's place. My reign has been long enough." He replied simply.

"So I'm going to have to take over your kingdom?" she questioned.

"Once I'm gone."

"What do you mean by _gone_?" Her eyebrow quirked and her strides had ceased. She planted herself and watched as he noticed her absence and stopped as well. Once he turned to face her, she pursed her lips together in a firm line.

"Alice," he began submissively, almost as if he was trying to prevent her from having an outburst of emotions.

"Die? By _gone_ you meant _die_? Why would you die?" Alice questioned, her bottom lip betraying her by quivering. She couldn't bare another death; not after everything she went through. Not after everything _they _went through…

The Cheshire strode toward her, closing the distance between them. "It's enviable; we all die at some point. You have to understand that."

"But I don't want you to die!" she shouted, realizing how childish she sounded once her voice trickled into the air. However, the Cheshire seemed more sympathetic than anything and laid a hand on her head.

"I'm not saying that it's going to happen anytime soon," he assured her, softly stroking her waves.

"I hope not," she muttered, wrapping her arms around his torso in a tight embrace. As his arms gently closed around her waist in a response to her hug, Alice did the unthinkable.

Acting on an impulse, she rose on the balls of her feet, rocking forward on her toes in an act to raise her face level with the Cheshire's. Her body seemed to act its own, her chin tilting upward, lips gently pressing themselves onto his. Then, once her brain processed her act, she retreated, drawing herself away from the Cheshire, flushing sheepishly.

Had she really just done what she thought she did? She couldn't believe she did such a daring act, especially so unexpectedly. But at the same time, it wasn't as odd as she anticipated it would be. Instead of some foreign encounter, the kiss felt completely natural, almost as if she was kissing just another regular person. But was he...?

Then, the Cheshire suddenly spoke up, almost as if he had read her mind. "I'm just as human as you are," he replied. And with that, he turned on his heels and begun heading back toward the Club Kingdom.

With her face still flushing, Alice followed suit.


	21. Satisfaction Brought it Back

((Hi, guys! Sorry it took so long to update! I've been swamped with reports and stuff, but I figured I might as well update a brief chapter. Hope ya'll don't mind! I promise to update properly this weekend! Bare with me! Reviews are always welcome as well! I'd love to hear your input good or bad!))

Chapter 21: Satisfaction Brought it Back

The following morning Alice awoke to the quiet squabble of birds as they flitted around outside the window. Eyes fluttering open, she found herself snuggled in bed next to the Cheshire, who was sleeping soundly. It wasn't any new experience to Alice—after all, since her first stay in Wonderland, the Cheshire recommended she stay in his room purely for safety reasons—but this time, it was different. A blush stung on her cheeks as she recalled the previous night's actions.

_'A kiss?!' _She mentally chided, squeezing her eyes shut. Her head felt as if it was floating around in a pool of fog, unsure of which way was up or down. _'You kissed him!' _she scolded herself again. _'That wasn't appropriate under any circumstances!' _

A lion-like murmur caused Alice to jerk out of her thoughts and open her eyes. Beside her, the Cheshire sprawled out, a low vibration in the mix of a yawn and a purr emanating from his throat. He then rolled toward her, flopping onto his stomach and folded his arms underneath him as a sort of cradle for his chin. Although his hood eclipsed his eyes, Alice could feel his stare land upon her. She stared back warily, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Yes?" the Cheshire purred in the means of a question. The tone of his morning voice—hoarse from a long night's rest—sent butterflies raging in Alice's stomach. Had she always found his voice attractive?

"You're the one staring at me," Alice responded defensively, trying to rope in her scattered thoughts. She sat up, raking a hand through her blond tresses in a mean to get her frazzled mind elsewhere.

"How could you be sure?" he questioned, his distinctive grin growing wider. Alice could almost picture a tail flicking behind him roguishly as he appraised her expression. "Are you growing paranoid?"

A blush betrayed Alice's stern glance and she tipped her head forward, letting her waves cascade over her shoulder to create a curtain between her and the Cheshire. "No, I'm not paranoid," she huffed. The Cheshire's chuckle in response made her purse her lips together in an attempt to keep her cross expression.

"You're like a child," he commented, stretching his arms out in front of him. Bending his outer arm at the elbow, he propped his chin up in his palm while his inner hand gently swept Alice's tresses behind her ear.

"And you're like a cat," she retorted, swatting his hand away. As much as she hated to admit it, his touch sent butterflies rampaging within her.

The Cheshire let out a throaty "hn," before shifting his position. He sat upright, edged to the foot of the bed. Alice felt a bit of remorse as he stood up, bedsprings squeaking with a protest almost mimicking that of her own. Then, almost unexpectedly, he leaned toward her, planting a prompt peck on her forehead before abruptly striding out of the room.

Once he left, Alice had to bite her bottom lip to force down the urge to squeal like almost every teenage girl depicted in movies did after someone they fancied did something even on the borderlines of cute. She flung herself backward, plopping down contently on the bed—_his _bed. She allowed a deep inhale, taking in the soft aroma of the Cheshire before grabbing the pillow above her head and hugging it to her chest. _'A kiss?_' she questioned herself contently.

Then, the faceless, grandfatherly servant found his way inside the bedroom, peeking at Alice from the doorway. He paused upon seeing the sight of Alice cradling a pillow to her chest with a cheeky expression painted across her face. After his observation, Niles turned and strode back into the hall. From her perch, Alice could hear him faintly call out, "Master, my pronouncement is that you _have_ 'wooed' her, sir."

Alice couldn't help a smile forming, and soon it was spanning ear to ear, almost like the Cheshire's. Perhaps she was in fact, 'wooed'.


	22. Just the First

((Hi, guys! I finally got up a legit chapter! I just hope it'll be to everyone's liking! I'd love to hear what everyone has to say about it!))

Chapter 22: Just the First

The Cheshire sat at the head of his dining table, staring down an empty line of chairs on either side of him. The placemats were adorned with dishes and silverware, yet were untouched as they had been for years. He never received any visitors at his dinner table save for the occasional Alice, who would trickle down the steps in all her bright-eyed glory. She'd take her seat two chairs down from him on his left, careful not to overstep her boundaries. As much as the Cheshire appeared to be indifferent of her distance, part of him wanted to order her to sit closer. But, being as stubborn as Alice was, he knew it probably wouldn't sit well with the blond-haired girl.

With a throaty grunt, he slumped back in his chair, shoulders slouching forward. He snaked his hand underneath the hood of his cloak and raked his fingers through his hair. His tresses were growing long, almost to the point that they were obstructing his vision, and he assumed he would need a haircut soon. Slowly, his fingers trailed forward to the bridge of his nose and landed upon the edge of sleek protruding material. With a tug, his mask fell forward into his lap.

"Master, are you alright with carelessly flaunting your face so freely like that?" Niles piped up from behind him in a polite, well-cautioned tone. He rounded the Cheshire's chair to stand at his side.

"Why would it matter, Niles?" the Cheshire questioned indifferently.

"If Alice happens to come twirling around here—"

The Cheshire cut him off. "Should it matter if she sees or not?"

"That is a question you should be asking yourself, Sir." Niles answered. The Cheshire shot him a dubious sidelong glance to which his servant continued, "Does it not matter to you whether she sees your true identity?"

The Cheshire's gaze hardened and he turned his head forward, staring down the long line of vacant seats surrounding him. "I still don't see how it would matter if she happens to see," he muttered curtly. For some unknown reason, the conversation with his servant was making his blood boil each time the elderly man spoke up.

"You're ashamed of who you are." Niles provided slowly, carefully treading into hot waters. "And you're afraid that she will be, too."

"Why should I care whether she's "ashamed" or not?" Chess almost growled, turning his head to stare at his facial-less servant. His eyes searched for even the slightest inkling of retreatment in his butler, but Niles firmly stood his ground. He had something more to say.

Niles shook his head almost in disappointment. "Your heart speaks volumes, but your ears are too deaf to listen," he replied solemnly before bowing at the waist to excuse himself from the conversation.

The Cheshire set his jaw before diverting his attention away from his butler's exit. Glancing down, he gently fingered the mask in his lap which seemed to have been the reason for the solidified tension hanging in the air.

Alice sat perched on the window seat looking out the Cheshire's bay window that faced toward the north and toward the Spade kingdom. Just over the zigzag hills and cluster of trees she could see the tip of the Hatter's castle peeking out from the landscape. The Spade kingdom was in closest proximity to the Cheshire's which allowed Alice the opportunity to watch the occasional snow that fell in the distance. Ever since she was a child, Alice found the sight of snowfall to be serine and greatly enjoyed watching the flakes drift toward the cool earth. '_If only it would snow here,' _Alice thought to herself.

A loud crash jolted Alice from her contentment and she flew forward, knocking her forehead on the glass. With a muffled, "Ouch," she retreated back and rubbed the injured area, staring at the window disdainfully. Once her displeasure was expressed toward said window, Alice rose from her perch and curiously stalked out of the Cheshire's bedroom.

Upon wandering out into the hallway, she found Niles crouched over a vase in the hallway that had toppled over. Hearing her footsteps draw near, he glanced up in her direction. Not having any facial features made Alice wonder if how he was able to see and speak. But then again, it was Wonderland, and she learned that anything was possible.

"Oh, Miss Alice," Niles began in a grandfatherly tone, nodding in her direction, "I apologize if I frightened you with such a mishap."

"It's alright," Alice replied, drawing in closer. She knelt down next to him and the pathetic heap of shards the vase was reduced to. "Do you need help?" she questioned although she had already begun picking up pieces.

"Oh, no, no," the servant crooned, waving his hand, beckoning her to put the pieces down. "I can clean up this mess myself."

"Are you sure?" Alice questioned, hesitantly dropping the pieces she had collected in a small pile.

"Actually," he drawled, turning his face toward her. Although he had no eyes, Alice could feel him scrutinizing her. "Would you mind doing me an even bigger favor?" he asked.

"That depends on what it is," she replied cautiously. As much as she'd love to help, she wasn't sure if she would be able to.

"Could you talk to the Master? We seemed to have gotten into a riff and I know he'd rather answer to you than me." With a quiet chuckle, he began pushing the shards of the vase into a solitary pile easier for clean-up. "Could you go check if he's alright?"

"I suppose," Alice responded hesitantly.

"I appreciate it very much so," Niles said and Alice could hear the smile in his tone.

"No problem."

Standing up, she smoothed her dress down around her thighs before making her way down the grand staircase.

"Ches?" Alice called out conscientiously, poking her head into the dining room.

The Cheshire sat in his usual position at the head of the table, unmoved from his previous perch. His shoulders were slouched forward, his head lolling downward. Upon hearing his name, his head slowly raised, but did not turn to the source of the voice. Instead, he allowed a husky "Hn?" to voice his response.

Alice took a few careful steps forward, rounding the chair to stand beside him. She worriedly craned her neck to make an attempt to stare at the Cheshire from under the protective hood of his cloak. "Is everything alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" he questioned in response, but Alice could tell his heart wasn't put into his words.

"Niles said you two had a fight," she informed cautiously, not sure how he'd react.

"I hadn't noticed."

Alice allowed her bottom lip to protrude from her top in a stubborn pout. "Cheshire," she said deliberately.

"Alice," the Cheshire spoke in response, not bothering to turn his head to face her, "What do you think of me?" His tone hardly sounded like a question, but more reminiscent of a demand.

"Well, I..think you're nice…" Alice stuttered. The butterflies begun to flock around inside of her core once again, and she fidgeted uncomfortably beside him. "

Alice was too preoccupied with the war raging in her stomach that she didn't realize the Cheshire had stood up until it was too late. His silhouette loomed above her almost ominously, which caused her to instinctively back up. With each step back, he countered by stepping toward her. Soon enough, she was backed up against the cool, marbled wall, the Cheshire standing over her. Alice's breathing hitched in her chest as she watched him raise his arm and pound his palm against the wall, caging her in.

"Ches?" Alice squeaked, staring up at him. She searched desperately for answers in his facial expression, but the only thing that wasn't eclipsed by his hood was his grin, which was spread stationary across his face.

"You don't know me, Alice," he began huskily. Alice felt herself shrink against the wall as he leaned in closer. He was definitely trying to intimidate her. "You're looking at a killer, Alice. Do you "approve" of killers?"

Alice pursed her lips together stubbornly. She wasn't sure what brought on the change in him. Only hours earlier, he had risen from his sleep to plant an abrupt kiss on her forehead and now he was talking about being a murderer? Alice stared up at him. "What are you talking about?" she huffed, finding her backbone.

"Answer my question," he demanded.

"You're making no sense, Ches," she responded stubbornly.

"Answer the question, Alice," he pressed, almost desperately.

"I couldn't care less if you're a killer," she retorted firmly and earnestly. "You've only shown your kindness and that's what I base my opinion on." Alice held up her chin, challenging his madness. She was expecting something like that from the Mad Hatter, not the Cheshire.

She watched as the Cheshire's shoulders slumped and his arm that once caged her in fell limp to his side. "What's with you, Ches?" she questioned quietly.

"I hadn't bargained for this," he muttered almost dejectedly, turning away.

"For what?" she asked, pushing herself off of the wall. She followed behind him and rounded his shoulder, appearing at his side. She cocked her neck to look up at him.

"For you," he muttered rather bluntly.

A small frown pulled at Alice's lips as she casted her eyes downward. "Oh."

The Cheshire let out a noisy exhale and turned to face her. Extending an arm, he tugged at her chin, lifting her face to eye-level. "You don't know what you do to me," he muttered.

His touch sent the flock of butterflies rampaging in her stomach. A blush rose to her cheeks as stared up at the hooded Cheshire who held her chin captive. With his free hand, the Cheshire raised a hand to his own face and tugged at the bridge of his nose. Alice stared on warily as she watched him pull his mouth off of his face. Only, it wasn't his mouth…

What seemed to be a mangled grin sweeping across his face was nothing more than a mask that was frighteningly realistic. As he pulled it away, it revealed a pair of thin, pallid lips greeted by a faint scar that spanned from the corner of his right lip leading up to his ear. Alice blinked wildly at the Cheshire's new appearance.

Before she could open her mouth to question him, he bent over her, and a pair of soft lips found hers. He had captured her in a kiss; a real kiss this time, with his _real_ lips. And they were exchanging their first kiss.


	23. The Nightmare

((Hi, everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't been updating recently. It's been super hectic, but I'm pretty sure with winter break I'll be able to update more frequently. I just wanted to update a quick, mini/half chapter thingy to try to make up for my inability to update. I'm really sorry about this! But a special thank you to everyone who took the time to read my story and either review, favorite, or follow. It means so much! I promise I'll have more chapters (real chapters) updated soon enough! I'm actually planning something up as I type this ;) Welp, now to the story! Hope ya'll enjoy!))

Chapter 22.5: A Nightmare

_The Cheshire sat on a large throne, smiling stoically at the young man who knelt before him. Only, it wasn't the Cheshire, but someone else, for his gnarled mouth moved when he spoke. "As heir of the throne," he spoke in a booming voice, "I request you take on the trademark appearance."_

_"But sir," the young man before him said, raising his head to look up at the man perched on the throne, "how could I—"_

_"Silence," the hooded man said, cutting the younger one off. "You will accept such a fate."_

_"….Yes, sir."_

_"Come here."_

_The younger man warily stood up, and with a few hesitant steps, made his way toward the cloaked figure. He bowed before kneeling down at the foot of the throne. _

_Then, in a fluent motion that even the younger man could not brace himself for, the cloaked man reached beside the throne, producing a discarded knight's sword and swung it toward the kneeling man. The cold blade sliced through the man's lip structure, cutting its way through his cheek with a sickening tear. The younger man cried out with pain, a strangled yelp that sent the laceration sprinting to his right ear. _

Alice jolted from her sleep, eyelids fluttering open, heart slamming into her chest. A cold sweat had broken out on her forehead and back and her lungs tried desperately to catch her breath. She raked a hand through her sweat-infested bangs, allowing her fingers to slide down her face and rub at her eyes. Warily, she glanced over to her side.

Beside her, Ches slept peacefully, sprawled out on his side like a content cat. The sight wasn't different from any other night, save for the fact that his notorious grin was replaced by a pair of thin lips, parted slightly to allow soft breaths of air to regulate between them. Alice could've easily dismissed her nightmare had it not been for the faded scar lacing the Cheshire's right cheek before ending just a few centimeters short of his ear.

Propping herself back on her elbows, she lowered herself to get a better vantage spot. Upon closer observation, she realized that his scar couldn't have been recent. Yet, at the same time, her nightmare was unnerving. Was it just a coincidence that she happened to have a dream about such a thing?

Her rush of thoughts were interrupted by a strong arm circling her waist, beckoning her to lie back down. She timidly followed his wish and settled back down onto the sheets. "It's hard to sleep when you feel someone watching," he yawned.

"Sorry."

Reluctantly, Alice closed her eyes. She wanted to tell him about her nightmare, she wanted make sense of the coincidence, and most importantly, she wanted to know if it truly did happen. But, she decided to save it for another night. It was still late—or early—and she knew how unhappy Ches grew if you disturbed him from his sleep. So, instead, she'd push the questions to the back of her mind and wait for another day.

For now, she was to enjoy the warmth of his embrace and metronome breathing that was beginning to help lull her back to sleep. She settled in closer to him, curling up against his chest as their legs became entangled and his arm draped itself possessively over her waist.

For now, she was to do nothing more than enjoy the moment that made her simply forget every gruesome thing her dreams could ever concoct.


	24. (Christmas Extra) The Winter Feeling

((Hi, guys! I'm making a comeback with another extra chapter. I'm sorry, but I felt the need to do a Christmas-themed update..so I did! I hope ya'll are having a merry Christmas, and whatever other holiday you may celebrate! I ASSURE you I'll get back on track with the story once the holidays clear up! But for now, bare with me and enjoy!))

(Extra): The Winter Feeling

"Ches, it never snows here?" Alice asked, the eternal autumn season cloaking the Club kingdom disenchanting her of her idealistic hopes of a winter wonderland. Her bottom lip protruded from her upper one, expressing her displeasure.

The Cheshire—who had been decorating the large, silvery-green Fraser Fir tree that was propped up in the foyer—set his ceramic icicle down inside the ornament box and turned to her, gently kissing her pout away. "I'm afraid not," he admitted softly. He didn't know what it was, but when sharing hard truths with Alice, his voice took on a mind of its own, speaking delicately as if it were afraid to disappoint her any further.

Alice reluctantly hung the snowflake ornament she was once staring at longingly on one of the lower branches. "Doesn't that make you sad? Christmas just isn't the same without snow," she murmured, suppressing another pout.

Ches shrugged indifferently, but after seeing the disappointment in Alice's eyes, he advanced toward her, wrapping his arms around her petite frame in a gentle embrace. "Isn't Christmas supposed to be about family and friends?" he offered.

Alice pursed her lips together briefly before allowing a sigh of defeat to filter through them. He was right, she was being a bit of a spoiled brat. "I'm sorry," she hummed, wrapping her arms around him in response to his hug.

"And?" he pressed, releasing his grip around her waist in order to allow a pale finger to lightly poke at the corner of her mouth. Alice submitted under the pressure and gave him a soft smile, to which the corner of his lips curled up into a soft smirk in reply. He always did love when she smiled.

* * *

"Are we really in the foyer?" Alice asked, blindly stumbling over her feet. "It's really chilly."

Ches held his hand over Alice's eyes, leading her to the Christmas tree he had recently decorated. "I have the windows open," he responded.

"Are you sure?" Alice couldn't help but feel suspicious. They had just spent most of the afternoon decorating the tree together, yet he wanted to shield her eyes so when he'd reveal the finished product, it'd be a complete surprise. She already saw the process of it being decorated, so what difference would it really make? But then again, she wanted to keep him happy, so she obliged to play along.

* * *

"Did we parade around the entire mansion?" Alice questioned about ten minutes into their stroll. Her vision was still being obstructed by Ches's hand and she was disoriented to the point that she had no idea their whereabouts. The only clue was the fact that the air was growing colder and more vicious, penetrating her night dress and slippers.

Suddenly, Ches stopped, steadying Alice before him. Before she could open her mouth to question his motives, his hand fell from her eyes.

A soft gasp escaped from Alice's lips as her eyes honed in on a large fir tree stretching upwards, dwarfing the other trees that resided within the forest. Blue and silver ornaments—Alice's two favorite colors—adorned each branch of the tree with a clustered purpose while white lights spiraled around the tree, illuminating shadows that danced upon the tree's needles. As Alice went to take a step forward, her face was met be a cold, wet substance. Looking up, Alice couldn't suppress her excitement.

"Snow!" she exclaimed, dashing forward into the wintery mixture. "How'd you get it to snow, Ches?"

"I didn't," he replied simply, tucking his hands into the depths of his cloak's pockets. "It usually snows in the Hatter's kingdom."

The corners of his mouth twitched into a small smirk as he watched her frolic around in the snow. The way she stared at it with such bright-eyed, genuine excitement was contagious, and he found his own mood lifting upon watching her. She was like a newborn puppy playing in their first snowfall.

When she stopped in mid-play to turn and look at him, his heart obstinately refused to keep consistent tempo and skipped a beat or two. He knew she was pretty, but seeing her in the snow brought forth a whole different side of her. Her eyes sparkled from both the illumination of the Christmas lights and excitement, while ice crystals clung to her wavy tresses and sweeping eyelashes, her nose and cheeks were turning a rosy color after being greeted by the bitter air, and the most memorable feature about her was even more fantastic: her smile. It spanned ear from ear, not failing to reach her eyes with an uncontained happiness. She was like a beautiful winter princess only seen in fairytales, and here she was, standing before him, pink and out of breath, but flawless nonetheless.

"Ches!" she exclaimed, breaking him out of his trance. "Come play with me!"

Before he could put up a protest, two petite hands circled his arm, beckoning him forward. He obeyed, reluctant at first, but after seeing the sparkle in her eyes, found that he was being drawn in. So, he followed Alice into the depths of the brewing storm, content with simply being in her mere presence.

It wasn't until she stopped her play once more, that he halted his movement. Alice drew closer, and upon doing so, she slid her arms over his shoulders, circling his neck in a gentle embrace. "Ches," she breathed, out of breath from both the play and the cold, "You've made this the best Christmas ever. I love you." And with those three words still lingering in the frigid winter air, she kissed him.


	25. The Cheshire's Tale

((Hi, guys! I finally got back on track! I just want to thank ya'll for such positive feedback! I love to hear from all of you! I just hope I don't disappoint with this chapter! Oh, and on a side note, I uploaded a cover picture that I drew that resembles what Ches looks like in my mind! His left, your right is supposed to be his mask, just to clear things up :) Hope it finally clears some things up with his identity and such. Thank ya'll for being so patient! I promise to dish out more interesting chapters soon enough! For now, enjoy!))

Chapter 23: The Cheshire's Grin

"Niles, where's Ches?" Alice asked, poking her head into the kitchen. The faceless servant was bent over the sink, busy washing a towering pile of dishes that had somehow manifested itself despite the fact that only her and the Cheshire ate regular meals.

"Ah, I'm sorry Miss Alice, but the Master has gone to the village to conduct some business with the other kingdom heads."

"Oh, that's alright. Would you like some help with the dishes?"

"I'd hate to get a lady's hands dirty."

"I don't mind," Alice admitted, making her way over to the sink. Niles moved aside so she could position herself comfortably next to the counter. He nodded off toward the dishrag, beckoning her to begin to dry off the dishes he had already cleaned and were propped up on the counter beside the sink. Alice obliged, grabbing the towel and got straight to work.

"You're a great help," Niles said, vigorously scrapping a sponge along the plates to work off excess food debris.

"It's the least I can do," Alice replied. She carefully dried each dish, making sure there were no droplets of watery let before piling them in a second collection. She'd figure out where to return the plates to once she completely finished her task.

"You're too kind."

A few moments of silence passed, but it wasn't an awkward lapse in conversation. Instead, Niles worked on washing the dishes off before handing them down the assembly line to Alice, who dried each before stacking them up in a neat, sparkly pile. They performed the chore for a few minutes until they ran out of dishes to wash and dry. It was then that they begun to take small piles and tote them back to their rightful position in the cabinets.

"Niles?" Alice began, following after him with a chest-height stack of plates. She paraded after him slowly, careful not to drop any of the porcelain dishes.

"Yes, Alice?" He arrived before one of the cabinets, carefully opened the door, and begun to pile the plates inside.

Alice stopped behind him, waiting for him to finish stocking his stack. "You know Ches's scar?" she began carefully, not knowing how the servant would handle the topic.

"Yes," he simply replied.

"How did he get it?"

"He was cut," Niles responded, placing his final plate in the cabinet.

"Someone cut him?" Alice questioned, shifting her weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"He was the old Master of the Club Kingdom," he explained, turning to her to take the plates from her hands.

"Why would he cut Ches?" she asked, turning on her heels to go retrieve another pile of dishes.

"He was a gruesome man," he began, returning the plates to the cabinet, "You've seen the Master's mask; it resembles the elder Master's mouth. He thought that the Club kingdom should have a renowned feature passed down from each head, so he decided to experiment." Niles paused, waiting for Alice to carefully cross the kitchen with the other stack of plates. He continued once she passed the dishes off to him. "So he took his Knight's sword and cut through Master's lip tissue."

"It wasn't a long cut," Niles justified, putting the last of the plates away in the cabinet. "Until Master screamed."

Alice grimaced, the vividness of her dream flooding back to her. She recalled the hooded man drawing a sword to the younger man's—presumably Ches's—mouth, then his strangled yelp, which only helped the laceration tear up to his ear. She could still hear his muffled moans as his hands flew to his cheek to clutch his wound.

Niles finished the task at hand before closing the cabinet before him. He turned around to appraise Alice's expression after hearing his story.

Alice could tell that she sported a rather pitiful expression for the way Niles seemed to be thrown back. She was never fond of gory images, but for some reason, the image of Ches's splintering wound made her stomach churn, and not in the light, giggly way that most thoughts involving Ches provoked. The thought of him yelping out in pain nagged at her heart, making it uncomfortable to breathe.

"I'm sorry, Miss Alice," Niles began, holding his hands out in a gesture of surrender. "I thought I'd inform you, but it seems as if that was a poor idea on my part."

She forced herself to shake her head, which only made her stomach sicker. "No, I knew wha—I mean, I had an idea but…" She trailed off, unable to concoct a full sentence that wouldn't make him question the stability of her mental state. But then again, she wasn't sure how she fared up as it was.

"You already had a dream," he stated, not bothering to question something he already knew.

"How—"

"The walls can talk, Miss Alice," he responded, his voice suddenly taking on an eerie tone that made Alice fidget uncomfortably where she stood.

"I—"

Before she could mutter another syllable, Niles had turned on his heels muttering a "thank you for your help," before swiftly walking out of the kitchen, leaving a dumbfounded Alice to stand alone in the center of the room. She stared on as he continued walking, then disappeared down the hall without a trace. Shaking her head in an attempt to rid the day's recent incidents, she proceeded to exit the kitchen.

* * *

Alice found herself pressed against the door, standing on her tiptoes, nose against the cool glass of the viewing window. She was suppressing the urge to bolt out of the door at that very moment, but she knew very well that she wouldn't know where to turn once she did make her way outside. Why was she so anxious for Ches's return?

It only took a few minutes of indecision until she pulled the door open, slipping outside into the brisk air. Quietly closing the door behind her, she set off on the dirt pavement that spiraled into the forest. _No, _a voice within her hissed _Don't. _But she ignored it, her feet moving out from under her, taking her into the dense sea of trees.


	26. Assassination

((Hi, guys! I just want to thank y'all for all the support and great reviews! It all means a lot to me! I couldn't have written more without the support of my lovely readers! Thank you so much! This chapter may not make a lot of sense right away, but I promise it'll all make sense with upcoming chapters :o Once again, thank you so much! I hope y'all like it! And a special thank you to **PinkutoMomo** who informed me that I uploaded the wrong document for this chapter! Silly me! This should be the rightful one! Thank you for he patience!))

Chapter 24: Assassination

Despite it being mid-afternoon, the woods were poorly illuminated; the sun's rays barely bothering to filter through the dense foliage of the trees above to light the area below. Alice treaded carefully through the cluster of trees; feet gingerly stepping over outgrown roots and fallen debris from the canopy while cerulean eyes squinted in the dark, trying to adjust to the poor lighting that engulfed her. She had been walking for quite awhile now, yet still hadn't a clue where she was or where she was heading.

_Alice, don't, _a voice within her hissed. It was demanding, almost cautionary. _Turn back now. _

Alice hesitantly slowed her steps. The voice had always seemed to ring out within her when she was in danger, but it was something she couldn't explain. Was it really that intelligible if it wasn't her own thoughts? But then again, it never seemed to steer her wrong before. She recalled various instances—like that in the Hatter's mansion—when the voice steered her out of trouble. Would it be stupid to ignore it now?

Possibly.

Alice halted her movement. She knew she should turn back, return to the mansion, and wait until Ches returned. But it was almost too tempting to stay out and explore the area a little further. With her poor judgment devouring her mindset, she stepped forward, continuing her parade deeper into the forest. "It'll be fine," she told herself, "I'll find Ches and we'll head back together."

And with that, she was off once more.

* * *

Red; red was everywhere. It devoured the trees in sticky shades of scarlet, dripping to the soft earth in hues of crimson. The sky was a pool of red wine with flecks of roseate shades brought by the clouds that ebbed and flowed eerily above head. A cardinal perched on one of the crimson branches, beady eyes peering down at Alice below. It opened its beak, crying out in some sort of gruesome lullaby before fluttering off into the red backdrop.

Before her stood a bubbling brook, spanning as far as the eye could see. But instead of water, the color of the world around her drained into it, forming a thick, scarlet liquid that bubbled up impatiently, emitting a gruesome smell she had encountered only once before in its fullest. It was a sticky, iron scent that flooded her nostrils and made her stomach churn uneasily with a relapsing memory of a blade and a man lying lifelessly on the floor of the Cheshire's bedroom.

It was the smell of blood.

Panic flooded through her in tidal waves, washing away all sense of direction. She struggled to keep afloat, stumbling over exposed roots that seemed to be reaching for her, intent on wrapping around her ankles and dragging her down further and further. She gasped for air, her lungs suddenly constricting and refusing to allow any oxygen into them. With her heart pounding in her ears, she could barely hear the voice inside her head.

_Alice, _it whispered feverishly, but it sounded too far away. _Alice, stay awake,_ it commanded. _Alice! _

* * *

_The room was bright, a ballroom of some sorts filled with people in glorious suits and gowns, all drinking and laughing and having a good time. It was a masquerade, for men jested around in colorful face decoys while the ladies giggled behind the mystery of their eye masks. Everyone appeared wealthy, flaunting expensive-looking clothing furnished from fine silks and adorned with strings of beading. The scene was picturesque, save for the couple frozen on the grand staircase just above the ballroom._

_Suddenly the clamor of music and laughter ceased, and the crowd turned to the staircase. The couple descended the stairs with a poised leisure, and the crowd was suddenly on-edge, anticipating their arrival on the floor. The man wore a fine suit, black as night, paired oddly with a gray cloak thrown over his shoulders, only for the hood to veil his face. He smiled out awkwardly to the crowd, a grin spanning from ear to ear. _

_The woman beside him was petite, dwarfed by the man's height and muscular build. She flaunted a sparkling silver eye mask and a stapless powder blue dress that clung to her slim waist before pooling to the floor below her. It was ballgown adorned with enough crystals for the tastes of a princess—and with her blond tresses piled atop her head in a curly updo beneath a sparkling head band, she seemed to fit the part. _

_The couple arrived on the dance floor arm in arm like the royalist of couples as the crowd parted for them. The woman curtsied while the man bowed to her, and they initiated the first dance. The cloaked man pulled her close, an arm wrapping around her waist while the other held her hand to their side. Despite her small stature, the woman gracefully slid her free arm up the man's chest before draping it delicately on his shoulder._

_The two waltzed a beautifully choreographed dance to the band that begun to play in the corner, each floating around the ballroom like angels carefully gliding atop a blanket of clouds. The guests watched in admiration, occasionally whispering glorified remarks to each other. _

_Once the song had ended, the gentleman presented his partner to the audience surrounding them and she bowed to the crowd, earning a thundering ovation. Once the claps had ceased, the band begun to play again, this the crowd joining the couple on the dance floor. _

_The royal couple continued to dance, lost in the sea of the other couples who swayed and glided to the music. The man held his partner close, now wrapping two warms around her waist, allowing both of her hands to slide under his cloak and tangle themselves in his hair. He bent down to her ear-level, muttering a few sweet words in her ear before planting kisses down the side of her neck, to which she welcomed with the toss of her head._

_They expressed their love in a haze of ignorant bliss for a few moments until the woman's eyes widened with horror, causing the man to stand erect. A shriek in the crowd brought the joyful procession to a screeching halt._

_There was the faint sight of a glinting blade followed by the splatter of crimson. It was the royal woman's turn to shriek as her partner's head lolled before completely dislodging itself from his neck. It toppled to the floor, landing in a pool of bloodied fabric. The face simply stared on, a grin plastered to his face even during death._

_"Someone's murdered the Master!" a voice ran out before complete chaos broke out. _

_Screaming._

_Crying._

_Darkness._

_Silence._

Alice jolted from her sleep, a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead. She stared forward, eyes adjusting to her surroundings. She lay on the forest floor next to a bubbling brook; only this time, clear water flowed through it. The world around her was no longer red, but colored normally; the trees were covered in green foliage and the sky was blue.

A shaky hand rose to her chest and she clutched at the material, clawing at it as if she were to remove her bodice, breathing would come easier to her. But it didn't. It came in short, shaky gasps, unable to fulfill her lungs' requests.

Her dream was vivid and gruesome, but the aspect that made it worse was that she watched the whole night unfold, as if she were seeing into the future. She watched Ches escort her down the staircase, watched their first dance, watched how madly in love they were, and watched how he was killed right in front of her.

_"The walls can talk, Miss Alice," _She recalled Niles telling her.

"No," she choked out, voice barely above a whisper. Liquid spilled from her eyes, drenching her cheek in trails of hot, salty tears. "No! Don't let him be taken away from me!" she sobbed into her hands. "Please, no."


	27. Tangled

((Hi, guys! Sorry it took so long to update! This chapter may receive a lot of mixed reviews, so I was kinda nervous about uploading it, but I'm hoping some people enjoy it! And normally I don't do this..but a special thanks to **101 PrettyKitty **for sticking with me through pretty much the beginning of this series! And thank you to the rest of my newer readers who have the kindness to review. I really appreciate all of you :) I hope y'all like this chapter!))

Chapter 25: Tangled

"Are you sure about this, Alice?"

She was afraid. It was such a confound action, she wasn't sure why she had even mentioned it to him. Actually, she wasn't even sure how she managed to gather the courage to ask him in the first place. Perhaps she was even madder than the Mad Hatter.

But she knew something that he didn't seem to know until she confided: her days with him were numbered. She knew it was only a short amount of time until he would fall victim to a brutal attack and she wanted to make the most of every minute with him. Of course she didn't come to terms with his upcoming death, but at the same time, she had to accept it. After all, if there was one thing she learned while in Wonderland, was that Crypt—whoever he was—had everyone in Wonderland as pawns of his game and no matter what anyone did, they were under his almighty control. It was hopeless to struggle against his rule.

So after Ches had found her in the forest—in a pathetic heap of a girl—she decided that she wanted to cherish each minute with him. What she wasn't preparing for was the risqué thought that stalked into her head, causing her to blush profusely at the thoughts of it. She had only heard of such a thing in movies or books—and occasionally overheard the senior girls at her high school talking about it—but she had never once thought of applying the action to herself.

"It's the ultimate way to signify your love for another person," she recalled one of the girls saying.

Alice contemplated the action, tossing the pros and cons over in her head until she was mentally exhausted from the juggling act. Even though many difficulties seemed to rise up in her thinking, she seemed to arrive on the same realization each time: she truly loved Ches.

"Yes," she breathed.

"Are you sure you've recovered from the incident in the forest?" he questioned carefully.

Ches had found her curled up on her side once her tears had run completely dry. He was a bit apprehensive at first and Alice feared that he was angry with her, but instead, he knelt down beside her and scooped her up into his lap. He waited patiently while she regained her composure, occasionally stroking her back and crooning to her that she was safe. Once she had calmed her nerves, she did the first thing that came to mind: told him her nightmare.

He didn't seem surprised or concerned for himself; instead, he almost seemed sympathetic that she had fallen victim to such a horrid dream. He softly stroked her hair while explaining the mystic power of the forest and how it acted upon one's weaknesses and vulnerability. The explanation didn't make the situation any better for her, but his mere presence alone seemed to sooth her enough.

Soon, they were embarking on their journey back to the Club Kingdom; Alice curled up and resting soundly in his arms as he carefully made his way out of the wooded area.

"I'm fine," she replied, a soft smiling playing on her lips. Ches was considerate and because of that, whatever doubt she once had looming in the back of her mind had lifted, leaving nothing but assured thoughts.

"Alice—"

She cut him off by slipping a petite hand onto his cheek. "Ches," she murmured, glancing up at him from her position on the bed, "I've never been so sure about anything in my life." Trailing her hand into his hairline, she knotted her fingers in his hair, drawing him closer to her. "I love you," she breathed.

* * *

Alice wasn't sure who initiated the kisses, but the only thing she knew was that both of them were intently engaged, like a couple of warriors sparring before a battle. She pulled back from the storm of kisses, pursing her lips together thoughtfully. "Ches, I want to see your face," she bravely spoke up.

Ches sat up from his position, almost apprehensive at first. Hesitantly, his fingers inched their way to the hood of his cloak and lingered there, as if he was battling with himself whether or not to abide. After what seemed like an eternity to Alice, he gave the hood a tug and let it cascade around his shoulders.

He was young, yet Alice could tell he was a few years her superior. His angled jaw line gave way to prominent cheek bones and a thin nose. Cerulean eyes stared warily at her—bluer than any ocean Alice could possibly picture—framed by straight tresses of dark auburn hues. His lips parted to speak, but no words came out.

"Ches," Alice breathed, awestricken by the sight in front of her, "You're beautiful."His mouth pulled into a crooked grin as a soft exhale escaped his nose—a quiet chuckle of sorts—but she found no other words to describe him. He was the type of guy depicted in modeling magazines, the type every girl fawned over, yet he was tucked away in a world seemingly safe from prying eyes. In a way, he was completely hers.

"Alice," he spoke in a husky tone that suddenly matched his newfound appearance, "I've never met someone as mad as you," he admitted.

"You're simply madder," she responded, scrunching her face.

"Then call me the Hatter," he replied, lowering himself toward her.

"I'd rather call you Ches," she murmured into a kiss.

* * *

Alice lay in an exhausted heap, her heart pounding in her ears, her limbs tired and slack beside her. Her tresses clung to the perspiration on her bare shoulders and her chest heaved as it attempted to regain steady breaths. She couldn't explain it, nor did she feel like it had to be explained. It was frightening, painful, yet gratifying all at the same time. She hadn't put thought to performing such an act, but desperate times called for desperate measure, and she couldn't be more content.

Ches lay beside her, a calm composure about him that allowed the idea that he fared well with the night's activities. He lay propped up on an elbow, his free arm draped affectionately over her stomach while his cerulean eyes studied her.

Alice had been embarrassed exposing herself to him at first, but the inhibition quickly subsided as she looked into his deep, blue pools. Suddenly, she felt safe and content, and openly accepted both him and her love for him. She tossed under his arm, turning toward him. She rested her forehead against his chest, a small smile playing on her lips. "Ches," she began softly.

"I love you too, Alice," he interrupted, planting a gentle kiss on her head.


	28. Perfect

((Hi, guys! I'm sorry this took so long to update! I've been swamped with school work and exams..oi. But I figured I'd get something up for you! I just want to take this time to thank all of my readers (ha, do y'all get annoyed with me saying that like, every update?) but y'all truly mean so much to me and I couldn't have been able to keep up with this for so long if it wasn't for all of you (both old and new). I truly appreciate all of it! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!))

Chapter 26: A Royal Pair

Alice timidly clung to Ches's arm, her head tipped forward so her sunhat veiled her eyes from meeting those of the curious stranger. Her delicate parasol was propped up on her shoulder nearest to Ches, shielding the both of them from the sun's rays while her fingers slowly twirled the J-shaped handle. She stuck close to him, synchronizing her footsteps with his.

All around her, she could feel the stares of strangers gathered along the streets boring into her and her companion along with muffled whispers too low for her ears to hear. She kept her gaze casted downward, watching her feet as they shuffled across the cobblestone streets.

"Is it normal for the village to be so…crowded?" Alice asked quietly.

"I suppose they caught wind of our errands," Ches replied behind the stoic safety of his mask. Alice had become accustomed to his scarred lips and was disappointed when he took cover behind his artificial smile, but she knew the Cheshire's grin was a notorious aspect of the Club Kingdom and when making public appearances, it was best to keep his renowned appearance.

"Nothing gets past them, huh?" Alice mused aloud, sneaking a glance at the perimeter of the market place where crowds of people had gathered. They stared on intently as the duo passed, some of them bowing their heads in respect or others out their hands to be touched. Alice glanced up at Ches and once he allowed a soft nod, she pried her hand away from his arm and delicately swept her hand along the crowd.

"My, what a lovely young lady!" an elderly woman praised.

"She touched me!" a younger boy bragged.

After a few minutes of making contact with the crowd, Alice veered closer to Ches, returning her grip on his arm, but this time, she didn't use him as a shield to shelter her from the unfamiliar surroundings. Ches noticed the change in her body language and let out a soft exhale—his version of a quiet chuckle—and nonchalantly peered down at her. She tilted her head upward and caught a glimpse of his cerulean pools, her heart skidding to a halt.

His eyes were deeper and more magnificent than any blue ocean she could ever dream over. At a quick glance, they were distant and aloof, but upon closer inspection, they were gentle and considerate, their warmth tucked away behind hues of teal and sapphire. He always wore his cloak—save for a few instances Alice rather not imagine for the fear of her cheeks turning pink—but casually laying around the mansion, he allowed his hood to slack ever-so-slightly and she had often caught the glance of his piercing blue eyes. To her, they were mightier than the ocean and sky: they were the portals into the soul of the person she loved.

"Ah, Your Highness!" A voice shouted.

Alice was jolted out of her admiration when a young woman came bounding down the steps from a large store. She was petite in size with cardinal tresses piled into a high ponytail and large golden eyes reminiscent of those belonging to an innocent doe. She ran up to the duo, bowing briefly to Ches before turning her attention to Alice.

"Ah, you must be the Lady!" she exclaimed, earning a light blush from Alice. She still wasn't accustomed to all the attention. "Our Majesty has informed me that the Ball is coming up and you haven't a thing to wear! Luckily, I've tailored something that I think you might enjoy!"

Alice didn't want to attend the Ball for fear of her nightmare coming true, but Ches informed her that the Ball was a big deal in Wonderland and it'd be frowned upon if she were to miss. Along with that, he assured her he was going to have guards on duty and be conscious of happenings-on around him to ensure that both he—and she as well—would be safe. Reluctantly, Alice agreed to attend.

The perky shop owner grabbed hold of Alice's hand and yanked her toward her store, almost making Alice drop her parasol in the process. Alice fumbled with closing the umbrella once she was pulled into the front doors merely because of superstition, but Ches came to her aid and gingerly took the canopy from her, folding it shut with a poised action that almost made Alice feel unworthy of associating with such royalty. But before she could have the chance to feel self-conscious, the shop owner whisked Alice into the back of the shop, blurring the sea of regal dresses and gowns on either side of them as she dragged her into a dressing room.

"Try this on, Milady," the woman said, gesturing toward the blue gown hanging on the wall of the fitting room. "Our Majesty has informed me that you're fond of the color blue."

"Ah, yes," Alice spoke shyly, still regaining her breath. "I love the color."

"How wonderful!" The woman clasped her hands together enthusiastically. "I do hope the measurements are accurate."

"How'd you know my measurements?" Alice couldn't help but wonder aloud.

The shopkeeper simply giggled in response. "Our Majesty seems to know you personally."

Alice flushed for reasons unknown to her and before she knew it, the peppy woman had taken hold of her hat and gingerly tossed it aside before aiding the stripping of Alice's clothes. Alice found it odd at first, but considering the woman seemed to know what she was doing, she put her faint in her.

..

To her amazement, the dress fit perfectly, earning another blush from her. The strapless nature of the bodice fit nicely against her figure; not feeling too tight nor lose to the point that it may accidentally fall to reveal her chest, and the waist cinched in to hug her ribs comfortably enough that she could breathe. The skirt was large and pooled around her legs, but it wasn't impossibly heavy to the point that she'd be unable to walk. The entire bodice was adorned with strings of ornate crystals that glimmered even in the mild lighting of the shop.

The shopkeeper clasped her hands together once she backed away from Alice, smiling admirably at her work. "It's beautiful, if I do say so myself," she chirped. "Here, take a look!"

She pushed the curtain aside to reveal a rather impatient-looking Ches, who sat slouched in a large armchair. He stood up upon hearing the clanking of the clasps that held the curtain in place.

"Well?" the woman sang.

Ches made his way over to Alice with agonizingly leisure steps. Alice felt herself hold her breath as he made his way closer, refusing to utter a sound. Stopping in front of her, he bent down to her ear level and murmured a soft, "Beautiful," before backing up to appraise the dress. Alice blushed, swatting him away while the shop keeper beamed behind him.

"You've outdone yourself, Shara," Ches complimented.

"I'm so glad you like it, Your Majesty," she said, grinning to the point that her eyes nearly disappeared into slits. "I hope Milady likes it as well." She turned expecting eyes over to Alice.

"It's beautiful," Alice replied with a smile, lifting up her skirt and turning the material over in her fingers. "I truly love it."

"How wonderful!" Shara sang."You look marvelous. Here, take a look!" She directed the duo toward an expansive full-length mirror to which Ches took his place at Alice's side and gently took her hand into his.

Alice had to force herself to not gawk at the reflection. It wasn't the fact that she felt she resembled a goddess, but it was the first time she had seen her and Ches together viewed from the outside looking in. With her hand draped delicately in his and her height shyly reaching his shoulder, she felt as if they were made for each other and no one else. Ches seemed to unknowingly agree, for he bent down and placed kiss on her head.

Yes, they were indeed the perfect couple.


	29. Preparations

((Hi guys, sorry it took so long to update! I'm really sorry! These past weeks have been crazy! I'll try to update as much as possible now that the story's nearing the last stretch. I want to thank everyone who's been following, favoriting, and reviewing this story. It really means a lot! I hope you guys enjoy!))

Chapter 27: Preparations

Alice watched on in concealed contempt as her life was put into the hands of some faceless servant wielding a scorching barrel. She held her breath each time he picked up a new lock of her hair, bringing the heated appliance too close to her skin for comfort. Although he didn't seem to be aware, he gripped mercilessly at her hair, yanking it roughly and pulling as he rolled the hot rod up the strand of hair and placed it uncomfortably close to her ear. Alice feared that if she were as much to blink, the action would severely burn her ear.

He held it there for some time, the heat of the barrel menacingly licking at the surface of her ear. Finally, the servant unraveled the strand, producing a rather bouncy girl in its place. He repeated the process for more than a dozen times—much to Alice's distress, getting closer and closer to her sensitive skin—until he contently placed the curling wand on the vanity and her entire head was full of coiling tresses.

She couldn't help but make a slight face at the sight of her in the reflection of the vanity mirror. She looked like a poodle—her once gentle waves of hair sweeping past her chest springing up toward her shoulders. But feeling the faceless servant's stare on her—a feeling that was hard to explain considering he didn't eyes—she offered a small smile.

"Oh, we're not done, Miss Alice," the voice sang in a mellifluous tone, "Being pretty isn't this easy, love."

Alice didn't know whether to feel insulted or not, but she decided to instead concentrate on watching the reflection of his hands scurry about her head, picking up odds and ends pieces of her hair and twisting them this way and that rather than focusing if she was just called unattractive. She watched the blur of white-gloved fingers weave in and out of her blond strands, like a sort of tango the only experienced could perform. After a few minutes and a handful of slim clips being shoved into her scalp, the servant backed up to appraise his work.

"You truly outdid yourself, Fredrick," the servant chirped, offering a nod. "What do you think, sweetie?"

Alice stared at her reflection, amazed at how her once lion's mane of a hairstyle had turned into an elegant updo, her flaxen tresses piled atop her head in a strategic accumulation of perfect curls, only leaving a few petite pieces to delicately frame her cheekbones. Impressed, she allowed a smile to grace her lips. "It's quite lovely," she commented.

"I'm so glad," Fredrick replied, clasping his hands together. "I'll go retrieve your dress!" With that, he sauntered out of the room, humming a song under his breath.

Alice stared at her reflection, her perfectly made up face—thanks to Fredrick's handiwork before he nearly set her hair aflame—faked a smile in a pitiful attempt at concealing her hesitation. It's not that she was nervous about presenting herself to the royal and regal of Wonderland—to be honest, that was the last worry on her mind. Her biggest concern was the safety and wellbeing of Ches.

What if her dream would come true? What if he was murdered right before her eyes? What would she do? How would she react? She wanted to scream out of frustration but knew she had to keep her composure. The anticipation was killing her, yet she knew she had to play it off. After all, Ches amped up security as promised. She had nothing to worry about. He'd be safe.

The sound of footfalls snapped Alice out of her inner battle and she looked up, revealing an unmasked Ches flaunting a dark suit paired oddly with his cloak simply parted over his shoulders, only for his hood to remain eclipsing his face. He carried Alice's dress slung over his shoulder, an almost smug expression playing on his scarred lips as he closed the door behind him.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "What?" she questioned warily.

"I'm here to dress you," he replied nonchalantly, crossing the bedroom to find his place behind her.

Alice clutched at her robe with one hand and shooed him away with the other. "I can dress myself!" she exclaimed, a pink hue emerging from her bronzed makeup.

"But you were going to allow Frederick to dress you?"

"No, he was simply fetching my dress and I was going to put it on myself—" She was interrupted by a pair of warm lips slanting down against hers. After a few moments of the sweet embrace, she pulled away, knitting her eyebrows together in the means of a stern glance. "Fine. But if you try anything funny, I'm locking you in the closet."

* * *

Alice emerged from the tangle of fabric huffing and flushed like she had just ran a marathon. Ches was still fumbling with the excess fabric, a rather bewildered expression playing on the lower portion of his face as he tries to make sense of the dress. She couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Ches kept true to his word of not trying "anything funny", and acted with the poise of a perfect gentleman—save for the occasional hushed string of curse words when he couldn't figure out which way to situate the dress on her.

"I should've never let you help," she said between giggles once she caught her breath.

"I should have never offered," he replied as his fingers stumbled over the corset of the bodice.

Once Alice was safely and presentably fitted in her dress, Ches's fingers danced their way to her chin, pulling her face upward and into a soft kiss. It was a sweet and loving sensation, but it sent a sickening wave to Alice's core, sending her stomach spiraling into a tight knot. Ches pulled away upon noticing the change in her demeanor, a strong arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her into a light embrace.

"What's worrying you, Alice?" he asked into her hair.

Alice gripped at his suit jacket, drawing herself as close to him as her ball gown would allow before resting her cheek on his chest. "I don't want my nightmare to come true," she mumbled, losing her voice in the expanse of the room.

Ches only wrapped himself around her tighter, rubbing reassuring circles into her back. "I promise I won't allow it to happen."

"But what if it does?"

"It won't," he consoled.

Then, his lips were slanting against hers, the heat of his mouth sending her into a groggy haze that made her knees weak and sent her head swimming in a desperate attempt to figure out which way was up and which was down. She felt at home in the moment, embracing the coaxing of his tongue, eventually dueling with her own. In the midst of it all, she forgot about any worry that was once plaguing her mind.

He wasn't going to die tonight. He was going to keep his promise to her.


	30. Belle of the Delirium

((Hi, guys! Thankfully, I've been able to update because I know a few of you have been anxious...and i hope this doesn't disappoint! This is the second to last chapter, and I just want to thank everyone for sticking with me! I hope y'all enjoy!))

Chapter 28: Belle of the Delirium

There were people everywhere, tangled in the streets and pouring into the courtyard of the Heart Kingdom's castle. People littered the expanse, like a school of fish they tried to swim their way up the grand marble staircase to the entrance. Ladies clung delicately to their partners, careful to keep a hand free to hold their masquerade masks up to conceal their identity. The men plucked their way through the crowds, bowing their heads in apology upon running into people, their face decoys situated on their faces with ribbon or sting so they were allowed to keep their hands situated proudly and possessively on their ladies.

Alice pressed her face against the window of the carriage for a better view of the party. Her and Ches were stationed at the gates of the castle, calmly awaiting a dissolution in the crowd for them to be able to freely step out of the wagon without being swept away in the tide. Ches had replaced his scarred smile with his signature mask—his trademark that only Alice knew was a fraud—and was balancing her silvery eye-mask on his knee while he waited. She had refused to put it on just yet; she didn't want to feel restricted.

The lone ivory stallion who was hauling the carriage was becoming impatient in the crowd, snorting and tossing his head, throwing his weight around from one hoof to the other. Niles, who had offered to drive the pair to the ball, was correcting the horse's reins and occasionally shouted out to couples who had ventured too close to the agitated animal to step back.

After a few minutes, the crowd had begun to thin out, and Niles turned from his perch and tapped on the window behind him. Ches caught Alice's shoulder before she could scoot out of the wagon, pushing her back into the seat. Earning a wary look from her, he ignored her stares of question and wordlessly adorned her with her eye-mask, gently tying the ribbons behind her updo of bouncy curls. Once she understood the meaning behind his actions, she offered a small smile. "Thank you."

The duo then slid their way out of the carriage, Ches leading and offering his hand to Alice who was having difficulty juggling the weight of her dress while descending the wagon steps. She clutched his hand as if it were the difference between life and death, stumbling on the last step and leaping into his arms to avoid teetering over, earning an exhaled chuckle from him as he caught her.

"You looked like an eaglet leaping from its nest," Ches commented once they were on their way to the entrance. The crowd parted easily for them, respecting the authority of the Club head.

"Well most people don't fall gracefully," Alice muttered injuredly, flicking his arm that both of her hands were situated on.

* * *

Once inside, the pair was greeted by the Queen of Hearts, who was flaunting a rather risqué scarlet dress with a plummeting neckline and a large slit reaching up to her outer thigh. Alice had seen men ogling discreetly upon walking past the Queen, so a pair of wary eyes wandered up to Ches. Alice didn't have to see his eyes to tell that he was completely oblivious to the woman in front of him for his head dully nodded and nonchalantly turned to glance around the room at the décor when the Queen was speaking to him. Alice allowed a soft sigh of relief to escape her lips.

"You two have the attention span of fish," the Queen commented, her red lips pursing together.

Alice smiled apologetically while Ches did nothing to hide his boredom, allowing a lion-like yawn to escape from his mask. The Queen narrowed her eyes at the pair, then huffed, and turned on her heels, muttering a cross, "Enjoy the Ball," before waltzing away.

"We've made her angry," Alice murmured timidly.

"When isn't she angry?" Another voice rang out from behind them. Alice turned to see none other than the Hatter, flaunting his renowned top hat and gap-toothed grin.

Still cautious around the Hatter, Alice offered him a sweet smile, leaning back into Ches's touch, which had moved to her shoulders. "I suppose that's a good question," she offered quietly.

"It's a shame she's such a cold hearted person," the Hatter chirped, furrowing his eyebrows. "Well, nothing much can be done," he smiled, exaggerating a shrug. And with that, he offered another smile and bowed, returning back to the crowd just as suddenly as he had appeared.

"He's an odd one," Alice murmured to no one in particular. However, Ches seemed to agree, nodding his head once before resting his chin atop her pile of curls, his hands trailing from her shoulders to her waist where they snaked around in one of her favorite embraces that made the butterflies flutter in her stomach each time.

They stood there for quite some time, swaying gently to the soft music the band in the corner was creating, enjoying simply each other's presence and the sensation of their embraces. Alice leaned back into Ches's chest, her fingers finding his intertwined on her waist and folding her hands over his. His thumbs reached up and rubbed nonsensical shapes into her fingers.

For the time being, Alice was entirely content. Her nightmare wasn't manifesting itself even in the slightest, and she was happy to simply curl herself up to Ches, felling his chest rise and fall, the soft circles his thumbs rubbed into her skin, and listening to the quiet exhaling and inhaling of his breath. It was simply perfect.

* * *

They had escaped upstairs for the evening, finding refuge in one of the room's balcony. Alice was hesitant at first, not wanting to barge around the Queen's castle without permission, but Ches assured her the Queen wouldn't mind because she was occupied with hosting the night's ball.

Alice leaned against the railing, staring down at the labyrinth below. It was odd to recall how the first time she stepped foot in the maze she was being hunted by the Queen's servants. It was also odd to imagine how her life had managed to change completely in only a few months. A smile tugged at her lips as Ches arrived beside her, mimicking her and leaning against the railing.

"Thank you," she murmured, fixing her gaze below.

Ches turned his head. "For what?"

"I don't know." She paused thoughtfully. "Everything, I guess. You were there when no one else was, I guess. You're all I have left and so much more."

Ches turned his body, wrapping his arms around her as she repositioned her head on his chest. She leaned against him, listening to the quiet rhythm of his heart, being lulled into relaxation by the rising and falling of his chest. Her arms snaked around his torso, gripping at the material cloaking his shoulder blades, pulling herself as close to him as her gown would allow. "I love you," she murmured into his chest.

Then, she felt it. Something grazed her cheek with such a forced intensity, it caused her to yelp and coil back. Something hot begun to spill down her cheek, her hands flying to her face only to met a sticky liquid, staining her fingers with a scarlet hue. Ches went rigid beside her, his head snapping to the doorway. She cocked her head, directing her eyes to follow Ches's gaze.

Whatever Ches's gaze was locked on was moving at an impossible rate, a blurred shadow sprinting toward the pair. Before Alice could react, she felt something tangle in her hair, a foreign touch that clutched her tresses, yanking her head backward. She was pried away from Ches, stray hair pins falling to the floor after being disturbed by an unknown hand. She reached out to Ches, a scream struggling to rise from her throat, the panic nearly paralyzing her.

The hand at her hair clutched tighter, the pain causing her eyes to sting. Ches went to lunge for her, but suddenly stopped. She felt something cold against her neck and her breath hitched in her throat. She didn't dare look down. She only stared ahead. Ches was frozen a few feet in front of her, apprehensive.

Then, the next thing she knew, her head collided with something hard, a searing pain pricking at ever nerve in her body. A sickening crack sounded, filling up her ears, making her deaf. The impact sent her head whirling; an inky darkness overcame her, filling her eyesight with darkness.

Darkness.

Silence.


	31. Secrets

Chapter 29: Secrets

Alice awoke to a barren room illuminated by a strip fluorescent lighting that hung lazily on the ceiling. She was alone, curled up in the corner of the room on the cool laminate flooring, a dull throbbing in her right temple. As she lifted herself from the floor, she looked around. The surroundings were completely foreign to her and her gown had been stripped to a sterile nightgown, her once meticulous curly updo falling around her shoulders in a disheveled mess. Panic began to flood her in tidal waves as she searched the small space.

"Ches?!" she called out desperately. What had happened to him? What if the intruder had killed him after she had blacked out? She stood up, pacing around the room for any sign of an escape. "Ches!" she called again, hands padding the walls, "Ches!"

The sound of footsteps made her frantic movements come to a halt. Her gaze followed the origin of the sound along the room, a hopeful flutter in her stomach as the footsteps drew near. "Ches?" she asked eagerly, pressing her ear to one of the walls, "Ches, are you there?"

Suddenly, a filter of light in the shape of a rectangle appeared on the wall, and soon it was discovered that there was, in fact, a door to her enclosure. A man stepped in—certainly not Ches—in a white lab coat, holding a clipboard. He was flanked by an elderly couple oddly familiar to Alice.

"Alice, dear!" Mrs. Bran cooed upon seeing her back away from the wall, a pathetic expression plaguing her face. Her husband held her by the shoulders, a strong grip restricting her from flinging herself onto Alice.

Alice squinted quizzically at the elderly pair. "Mrs. Bran?" she questioned, earning an eager nod from the elderly woman. "I thought you were dead."

Mrs. Bran's excitement fled, and she turned a wary glance at the man in front of her. "What's she talking about, Doctor?" she mewled, struggling against her husband's grasp.

The doctor turned, momentarily forgetting that Alice was in the room. "She believes you two have died in a fire," he explained, flipping through the papers on his clipboard.

"But why would she think that?" She cried out, gray eyes scrutinizing Alice as if she was searching for an explanation.

"Her parent's car accident had been very traumatic; it's not odd for children make up an alternate world for themselves to live in. In her eyes, you two have been killed in a fire, and she had gone off to live with someone known as 'Ches'."

"Who's Ches?" Mrs. Bran questioned, eyes honing in on Alice. They were saddened, confused; and to be frank, Alice felt the same emotions wash over her.

"Someone of her imagination," the doctor spoke for her.

"No!" Alice wrenched from the spot she stood, the doctor flying to her side to restrain her. "He's real!" she cried, fighting the doctor's grasp on her arms. "He's in danger now! Take me back to where you found me! He needs me! _I _need _him!_"

Tears begun to brim Mrs. Bran's eyes as a wrinkled hand clutched her mouth. Silent sobs escaped from her as her husband pulled her shaking figure into his in a comforting hug. He caressed her hair, muttering consoling words into her ear as she trembled against him. "My poor baby," she whimpered into her husband's chest, "My poor baby's gone insane."

* * *

Alice rummaged through her closet, picking through the dresses and other articles of clothing that became too small on her, casting them to the back. Mrs. Bran sat on her bed, watching Alice as she separated her clothes, occasionally flipping through the pages of one of the text books that sat near her lap.

Alice had been discharged from the Mental Correction Facility after undergoing two months of therapy. They had finally deemed her "cured" of her severe schizophrenia and allowed her to return home with Mr. and Mrs. Bran. After mending severed ties between her and the family, life paraded on like nothing had happened. They laughed and joked together, talked about their day; everything a normal family would do. However, Alice felt empty. Her family wasn't entirely complete.

There was never a day that she wasn't wondering where Ches was or if he was alright. She also wondered how she had managed to get back to her world. It puzzled her to no end and she was constantly searching for even the slightest sign of Ches returning to take her back to Wonderland. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and still no sign of Ches. Or, at least no outward sign of his presence, per say.

"Alice dear, you really have been putting on some weight," Mrs. Bran said softly, looking up from the home-schooling materials scattered on Alice's bed. She watched as Alice slid more clothing to the back of her closet.

Alice laid a hand on her stomach, a small smile teasing her lips as she felt it move beneath her. It was a presage that she wasn't simply schizophrenic, that she wasn't simply dreaming her experience up. It was evidence of her time spent in Wonderland, of her bond with the Cheshire. And most importantly, it signified her future. She couldn't find a way to return to Wonderland, but she had a keepsake from her adventures there—something more than just herself, something more than Ches, something more than the whole experience.

"I suppose I have gained some," she said with a smile before turning back to her clothes. It wouldn't be a secret for long.

((Welp, that's it! Sorry if it disappointed anyone that it was so abrupt! But I hope y'all enjoyed it! And I just want to give a special thank-you to **101PrettyKitty** who has been reviewing for as long as I could remember with kind words and encouragement and **PinkutoMomo** who has been a more recent reviewer but still as loyal and sweetly encouraging. I couldn't have done this without both of them as well as all my other reviewers and fans. I hope y'all enjoyed it and hopefully some of you would like to hear from me again! I'm sad to see this end but I'm thankful for all of the support. I love you all! ..Geez. I'm sucha mush ball 3))


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